The Newcomer
by NeoNimbus
Summary: When new kid Brian O'Quinn is befriended by Gumball, he soon finds himself drawn into his new friend's dysfunctional lifestyle and the misadventures he finds himself in.
1. The Kid: Part 1

Hello everyone and as you already guess by now, this is my first fanfiction here on this website, as well as the first story for Gumball. Just wanted to write this story both for fun and to see how long I could keep this story up.

Regarding reviews, I don't mind any constructive criticism or honest opinions. Bashings and flames, however, are **NOT **acceptable.

BTW, I don't own "The Amazing World of Gumball", both the show and related merchandises. I only own the story itself and the characters written specifically for this fanfiction. Anyway, enjoy.

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter One-The Kid: Part 1

Brian O'Quinn looks out through the window of the car from his seat, the wind whipping three strands of hair on his head, as his mother drove him off to what will soon be his form of education for the next two years. School, however, was the least bit of Brian's problem. Neither were the red hoodie and blue jeans he was wearing. His father has the entire family move to Elmore as a result of his job as a software engineer, which meant that Brian had to leave everything behind, including his friends back home in Folsom. Instead of spending the last few weeks of summer hanging out with his friends, whether they are playing games or watching movies together, the twelve year old purple fox ends up packing up his belongings before he has to bid them farewell.

His mother, also a purple fox but with lighter tone, couldn't help but notice her son's indifference from the rearview mirror, but his behavior is understandable. Leaving close friends behind and moving into an unfamiliar place can be very hard for anyone, especially if they're close to their teens.

"Honey, I know this must be very difficult for you, but give this place a try and who knows, you might end up liking this place over time, even makes a few friends."

"Sure mom, whatever you say", Brian replied with less than enthusiasm. Almost immediately, Brian realizes it was not the right way to respond.

"Brian!" Mrs. O'Quinn scolded. The purple fox simply shrunk his head in shame.

"Sorry mom", Brian said, the tone of his voice softening up. "It's just that I don't know anyone around town since we moved in. I don't even know if they'll accept me right off the bat."

The stern look formed from Mrs. O'Quinn's disappeared, replaced by sincere concern for her son.

"Like I said Brian, you might make a few friends on your first day at school. Who knows, they might rub off on you."

"I'm hope your right, mom."

Brian tried his best to sound as cheerful as he could, but he still has some reservation of what's going to be the rest of his new life in his new home.

* * *

It felt like forever, but Brian and his mom finally made their way to Elmore Junior High. After waving his mother a goodbye as soon as she dropped him, Brian looks at his new school. He has to admit, it was quite tall than he imagine it would be. Still, it wasn't enough to get him in a good mood.

"Let's get this over with."

Taking a deep breath, Brian took his first step through the hallway, which was quite big than he ever imagined. But this was no time for sight seeing; he has to locate his classroom before the bell rings. While making his way, he couldn't help but getting a glimpse of his fellow students. Passing by him is a ghost socializing with a group of girls, consisting of a floating cloud, a cactus, a bear made entirely of paper and a long neck, a robot and two glasses wearing eggs discussing some science stuff and a banana cackling to himself for little to no reasons.

"_I heard that everyone has characters, but this a bit too much"_

"Out of the way, kiddo!" a voice shouted out of nowhere.

Turning his head to the direction of the voice, a look of amazement crept onto his face saw who it belongs to. Walking right behind him were three individuals: a tyrannosaurus rex towering over the rest of the kids, followed by a hybrid being of sorts, mixed between an ox and a lion, with a smirk on her face and a piece of toasted bread who appears to be timid and meek, a stark contrast with the other two.

It was at this moment that Brian realized what was about to happen next. As the carnivore's stomping got louder, the purple fox barely dodge it, rolling to the left and getting his head hit in the process. He could hear the trio snickering by his action before they disappear from his sights.

"_Why shouldn't I be surprised? Of course this school is going to have the usual thugs"_

Dazed but not hurt, Brian manages to regain his balance despite his minor injury. But before he could even make his first step, out of nowhere came a blur of blue and orange dashing in the hallway, proceeding to spin Brian like a tornado.

"WHOA!" was all Brian could utter at the moment. Around him, the entire hallway is beginning to resemble nothing but swirls. Just when it feels like it would never stop, the momentum slowly dwindles down, eventually leaving Brian hopping left-to-right, eyes swirling all over the place, until he manage to regain his balance once more.

"Whoever you are, thanks for helping me out", Brian spoke out.

"No problem", a tiny voice uttered.

Brian paused, puzzled by this response; he just realizes there was no one in front of him.

"Um…who's there?" Brian asks, trying to find the source of the voice.

"Down here."

Doing what he was told, Brian lowered his gaze and was surprised to see that right in front of him was a little girl, a pink rabbit wearing an orange dress with white collars and toddler-size boots; plus, she was way too young to be in junior high of all places. Thankfully, it appears she isn't aware of his astonishment as she started speaking to him.

"You should be quite careful around here. I can tell that this is your first time at Elmore Junior High, so I just wanted to make sure that you're alright. Also, I apologize for my brothers' antics. They were in a hurry to get to their classroom. I'm sure it wasn't on purpose, but they stir up trouble wherever they go."

Silence soon settled in, with Brian, stunned and amazed, not uttering a single word. Finally, he manages to speak to the little girl.

"Just out of curiosity, how old are you?"

"Four"

Brian was taken aback by this response. But he soon realizes he is being rude and sheepishly scratches his head in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry; it's just that I never expect this school to allow child prodigies."

"Apology accepted. I'm Anais, by the way."

"Brian. Brian O'Quinn" the fox responded, shaking her hand in the process. But then, something else came in mind.

"Speaking of classroom, I do need some help locating mine"

Brian shows his schedule to Anais, whom, after a few seconds, points the direction to his destination.

"Thanks, and it was nice meeting you"

With that, Brian heads to the direction he was given, his mood lighten a little. Maybe this won't be such a bad day after all.

* * *

Gumball and Darwin panted heavily in their assigned desks, barely making it their classroom just before the bell. They couldn't believe that they manage to get on time before Miss Simian, which was good, knowing full well the consequences would be if they hadn't arrived on time.

"Gumball, do you think it was a good idea to drink that much soda this early in the morning?" Darwin inquires his feline friend.

"Would you rather face Miss Simian's wrath? Besides, I think it was worth it"

Gumball smiles proudly of his plan, even if it was desperate.

"Was what worth it?" an old cantankerous voice spoke, with a slight sneer.

Gumball paused momentarily, his head sweating with anxiety. Taking a deep breath, turns to see Miss Simian, the last person he wanted to see, who appears to be rather amused by her least favorite student.

"Um, nothing, Miss Simian, just glad to be here and not getting a 3 hour detention" was all Gumball could think of, laughing sheepishly.

"I wouldn't get your hopes up" Miss Simian replied, cackling for the moment Gumball will drop his guard down. All Gumball could do is just sit down and silently pray that such a moment wouldn't occur. Satisfied, Miss Simian makes her way to her desk, preparing for today's lesson when the door to the classroom open, revealing a purple fox with three strands of hair sticking out, wearing nothing but a red hoodie and blue jeans. Puzzled and confused by his appearance, she realizes something very important.

"Class, we have a new student coming to our class today. So I want you to make him feel very welcomed" Miss Simian turns her attention to the new kid.

"If I were you, I make the introduction short, so make it SNAPPY!"

Stunned by such an outburst, especially from a teacher of all people, the fox decides not to talk back and clearing his throat, began to speak.

"My name is Brian O'Quinn and I recently moved from Folsom. Also, I hope to get to know everyone of you better." It wasn't the best introduction he could think of, but it was all he had.

"That was very good, Mr. O'Quinn. Now, your desk will be right behind him"

Brian notices an empty desk, the one the teacher points out, behind the blue feline. Without any hesitation, Brian makes his way to the back, sitting right behind his fellow student. Miss Simian then cleared her throat up to start the day off.

"Now that everything's been settled, lets move on to today's lesson…"

While their ill-tempered teacher began discussing whatever subject was up, Gumball and Darwin couldn't help but glancing at the new kid. There was no doubt in their mind that he was the same person that they passed by while their bodies were experiencing the sugar rush due to consuming the soda beverages this morning. Fortunately, it doesn't appear he recognized them, as he paying more attention to the teacher than to them, albeit with a sense of boredom.

Sensing something was a bit off, Brian momentarily took his eyes off from the board, realizing that he was being watched by two people, the blue feline that was sitting in front of him and oddly enough, a fish with legs.

"Um, may I help you guys?" Brian asks, in an attempt to defuse this awkward moment, all the while raising his eyebrow in suspicion.

Panicking, the duo pulls their glances from Brian's view, trying to pretend like nothing ever happened. Although suspicious by their behavior, the fox shrugged his shoulder and resume concentrating on today's subject. After another quick glance, Darwin whispered to Gumball's ear.

"Do you think he knows that it was us?"

"Doesn't look like it, but its best if we don't mention it right in front of him" Gumball whispered back

"But what if he does? What do you think he's going to do to us?"

"You're making a big deal out of nothing."

"It is a big deal."

"Would you just keep it down, Darwin? Miss Simian is going to notice that we're not paying attention."

"Is there anything that you would like to say to the rest of the class?" a certain old, gravely voice that only Gumball and Darwin knows. The duo notice Miss Simian standing right in front of them, with a smirk on her face, while the rest of the class turned their attention towards them.

"Well, um, you see…" Gumball began, trying to think of way to get himself and Darwin out of this mess. He could tell that Miss Simian is waiting for him to make one false move and gladly using it as an excuse just to give him and his pal detention. What happen next, however, took them and their teacher completely by surprise.

"It was me."

Surprised by this response, Miss Simian turned her attention over to Brian, who didn't appear to be too worried. She decided to let the new student talk and see what he has to say.

"I wasn't paying any attention so I ask them what the lesson was about. Also, it was a bit hard to see what the subject was about. So I apologize for the misunderstanding."

Miss Simian was suspicious by this fox's behavior and his action. Why would someone like him be vouching for two troublemakers that he barely knew? Was it out of pity to get them out of trouble? Furthermore, were his claims ever true? As much as she wants to dwell on this, this is neither the place nor time to do so. She has better things to do than dealing with this.

"Normally, I would give you an hour of detention" Miss Simian begins to explain to Brian, who becomes a bit nervous. "But since you're new, I'll let you off with a warning."

Brian sighs with the relief now that he's been left off the hook.

"But I'll be watching you from now on."

Brian gulped in response to Miss Simian's threat. It looks like he'll have to be very careful around her.

As soon as she was done with him, Miss Simian turned her attention to Gumball and Darwin, still a bit surprised by this turn of event.

"As for you two, consider yourselves lucky" was all she has to say to the duo, before she returned to the board to resume today's lessons.

Gumball and Darwin looked at each other, then to Brian, then back to each other. Darwin was the first to talk.

"What just happened back there?"

"I don't know, buddy. I really don't know."

* * *

It felt like a very long time, but the school bell finally rang, signaling all students to leave their classrooms until the next bell, including Miss Simian's. As the hallway begins to fill up with students once more, Gumball and Darwin make their way to their lockers to put their stuff away before heading out to the cafeteria.

"That was a very nice thing he did for us" Darwin said. "Maybe we could invite him over to eat with us."

"I don't know, Darwin. I mean, it was a good thing that we didn't get into trouble and all, but we still don't know much about him."

"Don't be such a downer, Gumball. He seems like a cool guy."

"I know that, but I'm still worried he might be mad at us if he found out we're the ones that passed him by this morning."

"And I'm interrupting anything?"

Gumball and Darwin yelped and turned around to see the new kid standing right behind them. He appeared to be in a good mood, despite Miss Simian recent threat hanging over him. Relieve, Darwin spoke to him.

"Actually, we we're talking about you Brandon and we're wondering if you might want to come with us for lunch."

Brian's stomach growled in response to Darwin's statement.

"Well, I do feel a bit hungry and I would love to. Also, it's Brian, not Brandon"

"Forgive my buddy, Brian. He doesn't have a strong memory. By the way, I'm Gumball and you already met Darwin."

"Nice meeting you two" Brian then shook the feline's friend, along with his fish pal. But then, something popped up in Brian's mind.

"What were you two really whispering about? Was it something very important?"

Gumball and Darwin paused momentarily, unease by his question. Before they could reply, the duo finds themselves pushed aside as their fellow classmates suddenly swarmed Brian all over the place. The fox was struck down by a barrage of questions, dumbfounded to answer any of them. Apparently, they wanted to get to know him a much more than that brief introduction he gave in class earlier.

"Do you enjoy a good joke? I happen to be a comedian in my own rights" one voice uttered before cackling for no reason.

"Do you enjoy sports? 'Cause I let you know, I happen to be the best" another spouted with a swift of arrogance.

"So what was Folsom like?"

"What's your favorite subject?"

"Where did you get those nice threads?"

"How do you make your hair stand like that?"

"Do you mind if I possess your body for consumption?" Alright, that one was just plain weird.

"Out of the way, you dweebs and make some room for us!" Out of nowhere was a familiar voice that Brian has sworn he had heard before. His fellow classmates suddenly stop talking and complied, getting out of the way for whoever it's suppose to be. Brian turns to the source of the voice and couldn't believe whom he is staring at. It was those jerks from the hallway this morning, especially the t-rex that nearly stomped him. As the three make their way towards the fox, the hybrid was the first to confront him.

"So you're new around here? Good, that means there are some rules you should follow, if you don't want us to make your life miserable."

"And what makes you think I'm going to follow them?" Brian asks, his arms crossed, clearly not impressed. The next thing he knew, he found his face pressing onto the hybrid's, being grabbed by the collar his hoodie.

"How about by discussing three simple rules so you don forget, doofus. Number one: **NEVER** talked back to us"

She then lets go of his collar. Brian was amazed by her strength; for someone her own age, she was quite strong.

"Number two: half of your lunch money or you'll find yourself having a knuckle sandwich in your face."

"And what's "Number Three?" Brian asks cautiously. The dinosaur reared its head towards his face, baring its sharp fangs and by his own admission, bad breath.

"Stay out of our way if you see us in the hallway" the t-rex responded.

"Dude, take a chill pill."

"Actually, about that…" Brian notice Darwin making his way to him; his flippers covering his ear, whispering to him. Brian's eye popped in disbelief by what the fish had just told him.

"He's a girl?!" Brian asked incredulous to Darwin, oblivious that he blurted his response right in front of everyone. As soon as he realized this, he could see several students snickering, trying their best not to laugh, most certainly by his naïveté. Even the two bullies were in on it as well. He turns his attention towards the t-rex, who was blushing madly by this. But then, her expression turned dark, her growl got larger and before Brian knew it, she was once again staring right down at his face, clearly enrage that he never knew her gender from the beginning. The rest of the students notices the dinosaur's demeanor and stop what they were doing.

"You think your some comedian, that you think you can get away with that?!" she snarled as Brian slowly backs away from her.

"I-it wasn't like that. I-I didn't mean to insult you on purpose." Brian said, his voice trembling with fear, all the while attempting to calm the enrage dinosaur down.

"You should have thought about that it before you open you big, fat mouth." It was clear that she wouldn't accept his apologies. Brian tries to think quickly; he needs to find away to defuse this situation.

"W-what would c-c-convince you to let this one slide b-by?"

Surprisingly, the dinosaur stopped what she doing, appearing to ponder about Brian's question. Then, she smiled deviously; it was obvious that whatever she had in mind wouldn't be good for him.

"You and I would go one-on-one at the school gym this afternoon. That is how we're going to resolved this. That is, if you're too chicken to face me."

Before Brian could say anything, Gumball, out of nowhere, butted right in front of him, a look of confident and bravado on his face. He didn't like what the feline was about to do.

"Of course he won't chicken out. He'll come and face you anytime he wants to. Isn't that right, Brian?"

"Gumball, I didn't agree to-"Brian didn't even have time to finish his words, as he was again interrupted.

"So it's settled. The fox and the t-rex would duel with another at the gym this afternoon." The hybrid proudly states this in front of everyone, causing discussions among them. She then turns around to Brian, as if she has something else to say to him.

"I don't think we were properly introduced. I'm Jamie and timid and meek over there is Anton." The hybrid now known as Jamie points to the piece of toasted broad who meekly waves right back at him.

"And you've already met Tina, the lizard you manage to insult." Jamie points to the t-rex, still a bit peeved by the fox's action.

"And don't you ever forget it." Brian gulped in response, chills crawling down his spine.

"Well fox boy, enjoy the last few hours of your life, because today is about to be your last moment on this Earth." Jamie sarcastically remarks, laughing alongside her friends before they disappeared out of Brian's sight. While the rest of the students are discussing today's event, Darwin turns to Gumball, concern by what he just pulled off.

"Gumball, that was a bit rash. Tina's going to cream Brian like pulp. He'll never stand a chance against her."

Gumball, however, wasn't even concern by the slightest by what he did not too long.

"Don't worry Darwin, I think he could get out of this mess just like what he did back in Miss Simian's class. Isn't that right, Brian?"

Gumball waited for an answer from the fox, but got nothing but silence.

"Brian?" Gumball asked once more. Curious, he turns to see that the fox was literally frozen in fear; trembling, but his body froze in fear by this unfortunate event. In fact, all he could think about is how he'll survive today's event.

"_What kind of mess did this knucklehead put me in just now?"_

Next time on The Newcomer

Chapter 2-The Kid: Part 2

Brian's first day at school has turned for the worst when Tina Rex challenged him at the gym after school. As he desperately tries to resolve his dilemma, can the Watterson siblings aid their new friend before it's too late?

**Tidbits**

Every now and then, I will put this up whenever I have the chance and depending on the chapter of the story. The discussion will be short and brief, even making a few references about it

-When I created Brian O'Quinn, I intended for him to be the eyes and ears of a newcomer, someone unfamiliar in a town like Elmore. I'm well aware about Mary-Sues and just to assure everyone, this won't be the case.

-When I create an OC, I usually visualize how the characters sounds like so that it could match with their personality. In Brian's case, I visualize him being voiced by Dante Basco.

-Even though Brian is the main focus of the story, Gumball and his family **ARE** still the main characters, and will just have the same (if not equal) amount of exposure (along side the supporting cast).

-When I wrote this fanfiction down, I intend to make each chapter episodically but with a hint of continuity with it. Don't know when or if an arc will show up at some point, but who knows.

Hope you enjoy reading the first chapter of the story so far and if you have any suggestions for improvements, as well as some good ideas for the next chapter, feel free to put them on your review or PM me.

Thanks and see ya next chapter!


	2. The Kid: Part 2

**Wow! I didn't expect that much reviews for just one chapter. I really appreciate that. Also, I wanted to thank my beta reader RK for helping me out on the first chapter and this chapter as well. I apologize for not mentioning him when I should have.**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

**Update: I apologized for suddenly removing and re-uploading this chapter, but my beta reader pointed out several mistakes that I have accidentally overlooked. Anyway, it's fixed and hopefully I won't have to do something like that again. Thanks for understanding.  
**

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter Two-The Kid: Part 2

The afternoon had arrived at Elmore Junior High, as the cafeteria slowly began to fill up with hungry patrons who have waited long enough to get some grub. Some came just to satisfy their hunger and others simply wanted to be among friends, discussing current events and socializing with one another. Among the chatters and the aroma of foods, a certain blue feline and a two-legged fish sat side by side, each holding their own meals; sitting with them is a certain purple fox, still frozen in fear.

Ever since Brian "accepted" Tina's challenge, he has remained as stiff as a statue, to the point that Gumball and Darwin had to carry him to the cafeteria. Even the decedent flavors from today's menu wouldn't snap him back into reality. Seeing Brian in this state had the duo deeply worried.

"Gumball, how long do you think he'll stay like?" Darwin asks his feline friend with great concern.

"I don't know, buddy, but he can't stay like this forever. He'll have to move eventually."

Gumball waves his paw right in front of the fox's face, then snaps his finger a couple of times, but it did little to get Brian out of his traumatized state. Undeterred, the feline pulled a blow horn out of his pocket and proceeded to press the canister as hard as he can., causing the fox's fur to frizz out, but Brian remained unaffected by the sheer force from the canister. At this point, Gumball is beginning to loose his patience with the petrified fox.

"C'mon, man, what's going to take to get you to move again?"

"Hey Gumball, hey Darwin" said one tiny voice the duo knew all too well. Gumball and Darwin turns to see Anais near the table, with a book resting on her arm. The pink bunny noticed Brian, the new student she met this morning, completely spooked for some reason.

"What happened to him?"

"Gumball made Brian accept Tina's challenge at the gym this afternoon after he realizes that she is a girl." Darwin responded. Anais simply shook her head in disbelief and glared at her older brother for his action.

"I just assume that it wouldn't be such a big deal for him." Gumball reacted defensively

"You shouldn't have assumed anything to begin with." Anais scolded her brother, receiving nothing but a nervous laughter in response. Anais sighed in annoyance; of all the things Gumball has done in the past, this was by far the most idiotic stunt he pulled. Still, with the right motivation, he can make it up for it.

"Alright, Gumball, I'm going to help you out fix this mess. But promise me that you won't make the situation much worse for Brian than it already."

"You really mean it, sis?"

"I am your sister, after all."

"Oh, thank you so much" was all Gumball could say to his little sister, grateful that he won't have to handle this situation on his own.

"First, let's get Brian out of his state." Anais noted.

"Don't worry about it, Anais. I think I know what to do." Darwin spoke, as he makes his way to the fear-stricken fox. With a little bit of aiming, he proceeded to slap Brian on the face. The sheer force from the flipper was enough to snap Brian out of his trance, leaving nothing but an imprint.

"Thanks, I really needed that."

Brian then turned his attention to a rather nervous Gumball, who simply waved his paw and smiled meekly.

"You knucklehead!" Brian began, speaking in tone of anger and panic. "Why did you proceed to pull off such a move like that? I didn't even have a say in it to begin with! What were you thinking?!"

Gumball paused momentarily, hesitant to answer. After a while, he knew there was one way to explain for his excuse.

"I wasn't thinking to begin with."

Brian's anger slowly eroded, noticing Gumball's expression has been that of genuine guilt. He could have remained angry at the blue feline, but it was technically not his fault to begin with. In an effort to show there are no hard feelings, Brian sighed and spoke to Gumball.

"Gumball, this wasn't entirely your own fault to begin with. I was the one who opened my mouth and accidentally offended Tina."

"But that still doesn't change the fact that she'll crush you like a ragdoll. I should know; I was involved in a similar situation like this before" said Gumball.

Stunned by the feline's admission, Brian's mood lightened up a little.

"Do you have a solution then on how to deal with Tina?" he asked eagerly, hoping he just found the answer to his problem. But what came out of the cat's mouth isn't what he had in mind.

"I, um, ran away from her?" Gumball sheepishly replied.

Brian's mood suddenly changed to that of disappointment and annoyance. That…that was the solution Gumball has to offer? Running away from that monstrosity?

"That's not going to help my situation right here."

"You know…" Anais began, cutting right in front of Gumball. "There are a few things you can do to convince Tina to give you a break."

Brian raised his eyebrow, interested to see what the child prodigy has in mind.

"I'm listening."

* * *

Whenever someone needs to look for reference, perform some basic research for their homework or simply just to read in peace, such as books about origami or the secrets of cooking the perfect spicy chicken, the school library has always been the one and only solution.

But Brian didn't come to the library for any of these choices. He just learned from Anais that the library was one of the few places that Tina would show up, not to read books, but to simply force unfortunate souls from their money. He poked his head around the corner of the shelf, witnessing the dinosaur shaking down an unlucky student, a red bird, every bit of his money he has on him. Once she was done with him, she rejoiced with all the free cash she has earned for today.

Brian sighed; he couldn't believe what he was about to do. But if it means to get Tina off his back, if only for a moment, then it must work.

"Here goes nothing."

Taking a deep breath, the purple fox slowly makes his way to the dinosaur. Sensing something amiss, the t-rex turns around and saw Brian coming towards her, though she hardly happy to see him. She was still upset by his response not so long ago.

"What do you want? You'll get it coming in less than three hours."

Brian gulped; his paws and head were sweating with anxiety and his body trembled in fear. Nevertheless, he managed to keep his composure long enough to talk to her.

"Tina, there's something I got to say to you."

Curious, Tina leans forward to the fox, wanting to hear what he has to say.

"I-I'm sorry if I offended you or anything. I shouldn't have said that out loud in front of everyone. But I wanted to let you know that what I did back there was simply an accident. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings like that. So please, find it in your heart to accept this heartfelt apology."

Surprisingly, she seems affected by this. Tina ponders for a moment, and then looks right back at Brian.

"Alright, apology accepted."

Brian smiled a little bit. Maybe Anais' advice is working after all.

"So were cool?"

The dinosaur laughed for a while before she spoke back.

"No."

Brian was stunned by Tina's response. How could she accept his apology and still looking forward to beating him up this afternoon? This isn't the outcome he was hoping for.

Panicking, Brian pulled a few change from his pocket to give to Tina, hoping this would be enough to please her.

"I-I g-got some extra changes from the cafeteria. You k-know, h-half of the l-l-lunch money that was mentioned earlier?"

"I already have enough for today."

Brian gave himself a facepalm; he just remembered that she has looted the red bird most of his money not too long ago.

"Well, um…why don't I do your homework?" At this point, he was practically begging on his knee.

"I already have Anton doing that for me. Now get lost! I got to warm up for your punishment."

With that, Tina walked away from Brian, disappearing from his sights. The fox couldn't believe it; not one of Anais' suggestions worked at all.

Just then, the Watterson siblings came by, noticing that Brian was dumbstruck. Curious, Anais is the first to speak up.

"So, how did it go?"

"I apologize just like you said"

"And…?"

"She accepted it, but still plans to beat me up after school."

"Are you serious?! How could she accept your apology and still go through with her plan?!" Anais couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Did you try to bribe her?" Darwin inquire to Brian

"I did, but she already got enough from another student."

"And I'm betting that doing favors for her had no effect at all." Gumball noted. Brian nods his head in response, confirming the cat's belief. Gumball and Darwin then looked to Anais' about the failed attempt.

"Alright, you guys, none of my advice worked, I get it. But we still need to figure out how to solve this"

Then, as if on cue, Darwin raised his flipper wildly, as if he was on to something.

"Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! I think I have found the solution!"

"You do?" Gumball, Anais and Brian asked him simultaneously.

* * *

Out in the schoolyard, students were playing sports, discussing the latest gossips or simply goofing off, taking advantage of the break they had before it was time to head back to class. But for Brian, alongside Gumball and Anais, they came by because Darwin has something to offer for the fox.

"Alright, Darwin, why are here?" the fox inquired

"Simple, Brian. Because I have the answer that will help you protect from Tina."

Darwin heads to the side of the restroom, pushing a cardboard box to the trio. Once he made it to his destination, he removed the cardboard box, revealing some sort of suit, almost made entirely of pans and pots.

Brian was mystified by this creation; how was this supposed to protect him?

"Darwin." Gumball spoke suddenly. "You've done that plan already and it didn't even work."

Brian and Anais looked at Gumball, and then to Darwin, both seemed to be surprise by this. But the fish didn't seem to be too worried.

"Only because it was made out of a bucket, cardboard boxes and trash can lids. This time, I'm made a few changes around and I'm certain that this won't fail."

"Just one question: where did you get all of these pans and pots?" Anais asked.

* * *

Richard was rummaging through the refrigerator, gathering which foods where available to prepare for a late lunch. Pulling from the fridge was a loaf of bread, along with dozen slices of cheeses and a ham.

Satisfied with what was available, Richard checked the pantry, but finds it completely empty.

"Strange, I could have sworn it was filled with pots and pans."

* * *

"That's not important right now, Anais. What is important is to show how effective this is. Brian, do you mind?"

"What do I have to loose?" Brian just shrugged his shoulder and walks to the makeshift suit. Then, Darwin began attaching the suit onto Brian, piece by piece, until the fox's body is all covered up, head-to-toe. Brian has to admit: despite the tight fit, plus the absurd idea, this might actually work out after all.

"You know, Darwin, maybe this plan of yours isn't so bad."

"Thanks. Now, time to perform some demonstration."

"Demonstration? What demon-"Suddenly, a barrage of dodge balls appeared out of nowhere, repeatedly hitting the suited up fox without mercy. Despite the suit's tough exterior, Brian still felt pain all over the place; it wasn't effective at all. As soon as the last dodge ball was thrown, Brian, dazed, hurt and bruised, fell to the ground, the suit collapsing in the process.

Darwin was puzzled and confused; he was certain that it was going to work.

"Oh well" Darwin said happily, like it was nothing. He then turns to Banana Joe, Bobert and Juke, each holding a dodge ball.

"Thanks for helping me out."

"No problem." Banana Joe said, before they walked away.

"Hey Brian, are you alright?" Gumball pulls Brian from the now ineffective suit, helping him regain his balance.

"I'm fine, Gumball, thanks. But I'm still going to be dead meat." Brian sighed, depressed that another solution to his problem faded away.

"Don't be such a downer. I'm sure everything will be alright. I mean, it's not like the answer is coming right at you."

Just then, the four felt the ground shake, each step getting louder by the minute. Once the rumbling stopped, the four turned around and see who it is. For the Watterson siblings, it was a familiar face but for Brian, he was amazed by the individual.

Standing right in front of him was a gorilla of sort, but huge, even more so than Tina. His entire body was covered in multi-colored furs, with the exception of his purple hands and feet. He didn't know what to make of this.

"Hey guys" the giant spoke with a large voice.

"Hey Hector" Gumball, Darwin and Anais responded, waving their hands right back at him. Brian looked at them, astonished that the trio knew someone like him. But at least he knows that this is someone on the friendlier side.

"Hector, I like you to meet our new friend Brian" Darwin introduces the giant to the fox.

"Nice to meet you, Brian" the giant kneels down and starts to shake Brian's hand.

"Right back at you, Hector" Brian responded. Once they finish their greetings, Hector noticed the fox's behavior; he seemed a bit worried.

"And I'm interrupting anything?" Hector asks.

Before Gumball could say anything, he paused, looking at Brian, then Hector, then right back at his friend. That's it! This could be the solution to Brian's situation.

"Not at all, Hector. In fact, we were looking for you. Isn't that right, guys?" Gumballs winks back at the trio. Almost immediately, they soon realize what Gumball is on to. Among them, Darwin was the first to talk

"That's right. In fact we need your help on Brian's behalf."

"What is it that you need?" said Hector

"Well, you see, Brian is about to fight someone at the gym this afternoon and he's been trying to find a way out of this mess. We tried our best to help him, but no matter how hard we try, nothing seems to be working. Could you please come help our friend?"

Hector ponders for a moment, while the four patiently waits for an answer. Finally, the giant gave a response.

"Sure, anything for a friend."

The four shouts with joy and optimism, especially for Brian.

"_Finally, my problems are over!"_

His thoughts are interrupted by Hector once more.

"By the way, who is giving Brian trouble?"

"Tina Rex"

Suddenly, Hector stopped moving, clearly struck by his friends' answer. Then, the giant starts to fumble with his fingers; Brian senses that was not a good sign.

"Um…you know…I suddenly heard my mother calling…so…see you later."

With that, Hector turned to the opposite direction, before disappearing from the groups' sight. They couldn't believe what just happened: Hector, of all people, had suddenly refused to aid them despite agreeing to do so, ditching them when they needed him the most.

"_I knew this was too good to be true."_

Brian sighed, depressed and dismay that this was going nowhere.

"Guys, I appreciate what you have done, but it looks like I'm about to meet my maker."

"Brian! Don't say stuff like that!" Anais scolded.

"But it's true! Every time we seem to find the answer to fix this mess, it ends up making things worse! Face facts, I'm a goner." With that, Brian heads straight to the school, resigned to the fate that was about to meet him three hours from now. Gumball, Anais and Darwin just stood, clearly dismayed that their best effort to help Brian was all for nothing.

"What should we do?!" Darwin exclaimed. "We need to find a way to resolve this before Brian's a goner!"

"But we tried everything, Darwin and none of them worked. Normally, I'm the smart one and for once I have nothing." Anais started to explain

"But we can't let Brian meet his maker, or whatever that supposes to mean." Darwin retorted.

"Maybe we haven't tried everything." Gumball finally spoke, as Anais and Darwin turned their attention towards him.

"What are you getting at?" Anais inquired her older brother.

Gumball sighed and after taking a deep breath, begins to explain to them.

"There's one way we haven't tried, but you're not going to like this…"

* * *

As the students started to get the required materials before the bell rings, Tina stomped throughout the hallway towards her locker. It has been several minutes since she had done her warm-ups this afternoon, looking forward to pummeling that purple fox as payback for that insult. She can hardly wait to relish the opportunity.

As she finally made it to her destination, she suddenly stopped in her tracks and spotted the Watterson siblings right next to her locker. What are these three bozos doing here to begin with?

"What do you three want? I have no business with any of you for the moment." Tina demanded.

"Gumball, are you sure this was such a good idea?" Darwin whispered back to his friend.

"We don't have much of a choice. We just only got one shot."

Gumball then nudges Anais, who simply walks right towards to the t-rex.

"We want to talk to you about Brian."

"What about him?" Tina asked, a bit curious to see what she has to say.

"We just wanted to you give him a break. It's his first time here."

"No way, not after what he did."

"But Tina…" Darwin spoke up. "It really wasn't his fault to begin with. I was kind of responsible to begin with."

"Plus, he didn't accept your challenge by choice. I ended up making that choice for him." Gumball responded, while hiding right behind the fish.

"That still changes nothing."

At this point, Anais' patience with the dinosaur almost reaches its limit.

"Tina, Brian never meant to insult on your purpose. He had no idea that you were girl and I'm certain that outburst he made wasn't done on purpose. He even apologized for his action, yet you still want to beat him. The point is Brian made a mistake and took full responsibility for it. That should be enough for you to let him off the hook."

Tina paused for a moment to think what Anais has to say, before she glared right back at her.

"Tell me one good reason why I should do such a thing."

The trio looked at one another, trying to find such a reason. Finally, Gumball was the first to talk.

"Because Tina, underneath that rough exteriors of yours, lays a sensitive individual who is merely misunderstood. Do you remember the time back at the junkyard when you complained how everyone thinks that you were a brute and I assure you I thought otherwise?"

Tina's stopped to think about what the feline has to say. It's true; Gumball never had any ill thoughts about her in spite of the fact that she has always made him his frequent target every chance she had.

"Or what about when you mentioned that you always wanted to own a toy?" Darwin points out

"And that Daisy helps you go to sleep because you were afraid of going to sleep at night?" Anais added.

That's right, how could she have forgotten about it? Sleeping at night was quite different ever since the bunny allowed her to keep the doll. Not to mention that she did distract the her dad, long enough for them to make a quick escape from the junkyard.

Tina was at a loss of words; she didn't know what to say.

"Look Tina." Anais started to talk. "We know that you're not a bad person deep down. You're a living being with feelings just like everyone else. Brian is no different from that. But try to look deep in your heart and do what you feel is the right thing to do for once."

Once she was done talking, Anais, along with Gumball and Darwin, leave until they were out of Tina's sight, leaving the t-rex some time to think about what they have to say.

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 3-The Kid: Part 3_

_As Brian prepares to face the inevitable, what actions does Tina Rex have in stored for the fox?_

**Tidbits**

**-Originally, I planned to conclude the Kid by this chapter. But after doing a double take, I realized I underestimated the length of the pages. I also debated whether or not I should extend this chapter. In the end, I decided to just save the conclusion for The Kid next chapter.**

**-It took me a long while to find a way to finish this chapter, but thanks to RK, I eventually manage to complete it.**

**If you have any suggestions or ideas for future chapters, feel free to either leave them on your reviews or PM me. I honestly don't mind because I may hit a writer's block at some point and one of your ideas can be useful to help progress the story further. However, I can't be 100% guaranteed that most submitted ideas will be used.**

**Thanks and hope you enjoyed this chapter.**


	3. The Kid: Part 3

**Sorry if it took a bit longer, but I have to check this chapter to make sure I didn't leave any mistakes behind like the last chapter.**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 3-The Kid: Part 3

Brian couldn't believe how the first day of junior high would turn out. Here he is, at the school gym, already beginning to be filled with several students who have come by to witness him, the new kid, take on the likes of Tina Rex, one of the school bullies, whom he accidentally offended.

Three hours have passed since he had "accepted" the dinosaur's challenge. In spite of his best attempts, alongside the attempts of his new friends, he was unable convince Tina to call off the fight that would be occurring anytime soon. Brian had tried to take his mind off from the fight by focusing on Miss Simian's teaching, but it didn't help that his paws were sweating and trembling with deep fear, even though he did his best to conceal them. Once the school bell rang for the final time, Brian made his way to what was about to be his final destination. Needless to say, Brian wasn't looking forward to this.

"_Oh man! Oh man! I can't believe my first and last day at junior high will end like this!"_

Trying to remain as calm as possible, Brian looked around at his surroundings, noticing the large crowd gathering to see him and Tina go at it. Noticing three familiar figures from the background, the fox squints hard enough to see that it was Gumball, Darwin and Anais among the crowd. He slightly smiled right back at them; at least he knows the last thing he sees will be that of his new friends

"So, you ready to get your butt whooped, furball?"

Brian's mood suddenly turned sour upon one familiar voice he hoped he wouldn't hear. It was Jamie, one of Tina's friends who made the announcement of the fight. The fox notice a smug look on the tomboy's face.

"You sure are looking forward to it." Brian sarcastically replied.

"Why shouldn't I? I always enjoy seeing saps like you getting pummeled like nothing from Tina."

"Speaking of which…" Anton suddenly spoke out of nowhere. "She should have been here by now."

"Yeah, now that you mention it, where is Sharp Tooth?" asked Jamie

As soon as those words were spoken, Brian looked at his surroundings, trying to get a glimpse of the t-rex. But no matter how hard he tried, Tina was nowhere in sight. Oddly enough, Brian seemed a bit pleased, even giving himself a small smile.

"_Maybe she won't show up after all. Perhaps something far more important than this fight has gotten her attention"_

Just then, the door to the gymnasium burst wide open, as a certain carnivore made her way to her destination, resulting in silence from the crowd, turning their attentions towards her, including a dismayed Brian.

"_I spoke too soon."_

Once Tina made her way towards Brian, all he can do is gulp, chills shivering all over his body, as the t-rex literally looked down at her prey. It was the moment that the crowd was waiting for.

"FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!" was all Brian could hear from them, their words chanting loudly all over the gym. The only ones that weren't involved in the chanting were the Watterson siblings, their hands covering their eyes, unwilling to see the carnage he was going to face.

"_Well, Brian O'Quinn, looks like this is going be it."_ Brian took a deep breath, his eyes closed shut and simply just stood, waiting for the punishment the dinosaur is about to serve. But what happened next was simply unexpected.

"Everyone leaves right now!" Tina demanded, prompting the entire crowd to stop chanting, confused by the dinosaur's action. Even Anton and Jamie were surprised by this; this was certainly the last thing they would hear out of their friend's mouth.

"What gives?" Jamie inquires to the t-rex. "I thought you wanted a fight."

"Correction, I said I wanted a one-on-one challenge. In other words, it will only be me and the fox. Everyone else will have to wait outside until the fight is over."

"Wait a minute…" Idaho spoke out. "We didn't come here just to-"

Before he could finish his sentence, he found himself picked up by Jamie, who simply glares. Panic soon sets in on the potato, before he wiggles himself out of the tomboy's hand and fled right back into the crowd. Jamie then turns her attention to the crowd.

"You heard what she said. Everyone leaves the gym as of right now!"

The crowd moaned in disappointment by the sudden change of schedule, but knew fully well what Tina is capable of. They marched right towards the doors, leaving only Brian, Tina, Jamie and Anton at the gym. The tomboy then turned to her carnivorous friend.

"Whatever you do, make sure you don't go too easy on him."

With that, she and Anton headed straight to the doors, closing them right behind them, leaving only Brian and Tina at the gym. All Brian could do was just stare straight at Tina, who simply gives out a devious smile at the fox.

"It's just you me and me." Tina then roars loudly and proceeds to charge towards the defenseless fox.

Brian closed his eyes, his arms raised up to shield himself, bracing for impact, as the t-rex's stomping grew louder with each step. But then, something unusual had occurred: the stomping strangely began to quite with each step. Puzzled, Brian opened his eyes for a quick peek and realized Tina had passed by him, charging right towards the storage closet right behind him.

Tina proceeds to open the closet with her head, grabbing a punching bag with just her jaws. The dinosaur then proceeded to thrash the punching bag on the floor like a rag doll. As Brian witnessed this unusual scene, he could hear the students in the hallway cringing from each thrashing coming from the punching bag.

Tina, satisfied by this response, threw the now worn-out punching bag back to the storage closet, knocking down several pieces of equipment in the process, which in turn caused the students outside to gasp in horror, before the dinosaur closed the closet. Noticing a nearby trash can, the t-rex proceeded to stomp on it, and flatten it like a piece of paper. There was no doubt that this move had the students out in the hallway react with fear.

A speechless Brian couldn't believe what he was just witnessing; earlier, Tina had made it clear that she intended to crush him like an insect. Instead, he finds her thrashing some of the school equipment around and making a mess at the gym.

"Looks like everything is going according to plan" the dinosaur remarks, before turning her attention to the confused fox. Making her way towards Brian, Tina leans forward and proceeded to slightly tear up his hoodie with her tiny arms, leaving a few holes and scratch marks, before ruffling up his hair. At this point, the astonished fox finally spoke.

"What's going on? What are you doing?"

"Simple, furball, I'm giving you a break. Now hold still, I'm almost done." Tina then quickly stomped on the ground and blew the dust right onto Brian, causing him to cough momentarily.

"Finished." said Tina, pleased to see her handiwork is now complete.

Brian couldn't believe what Tina just did right now. Expecting her to pummel him like a fly, she instead acted like she was beating him up, before messing up his clothes to look like it really happened. Something's wasn't adding up at all.

"Wait a minute! What's with this get-up? In fact, why are you doing all of this? Weren't you planning to beat me up?" Brian demanded answers from the t-rex.

Tina's eyes looked away from the fox for a brief moment, expressing discomfort, before eventually responding to Brian's demands.

"Let's just say that three little birdies came by and criticized me for overlooking that what you did this morning was never intentional to begin with. That…and I overreacted."

Brian couldn't help but express pity for her. The tone from her voice softened and her expression was that of sincere honesty. Maybe she wasn't such a bad person after all. Then, he realized something that Tina mentioned not so long ago.

"_Three little birdies? Could she have been referring to-"_Brian's thoughts were suddenly interrupted, as Tina once again spoke.

"Anyway, just to let you know, I won't be bothering you for a few weeks, simply because you're new around here."

Brian sighed with relief by Tina's mercy. Then, the dinosaur's expression got darker

"But you tell anyone about this and I'll make sure you wish that you were dead."

Brian yelped in fear by the t-rex's threat. Suddenly, Tina smiled and began to chuckle.

"Just kidding, but seriously, don't tell anyone. I want to maintain my reputation."

Brian sighed with relief once more; he's now certain that Tina will let him off the hook for the time being. Turning his attention to the entrance of the gymnasium, then back at Tina, there was only one thing left to do.

"It's show time."

* * *

The Watterson siblings couldn't believe what was occurring behind closed doors, as they and the crowd could only speculate. Tina had forced the entire crowd, themselves included, out of the auditorium, making it perfectly clear that the fight was only between Brian and her. Once they left the premise, almost immediately they could hear several thrashings, each louder by the minute. Then, as suddenly as it happened, everything went silent. Darwin turned to Gumball, clearly worried for Brian's wellbeing.

"Gumball, do you think Brian's going to be alright?"

"I honestly don't know, buddy. We'll just have to wait and see." was all Gumball could say.

Then, the doors to the gym burst wide open, and both the crowd and the Watterson siblings gasp; they couldn't believe what they were looking at. It was Brian O'Quinn, barely standing, his paw clutching the side of his body. His hoodie appeared to have been torn to bits, his hair was messy and his body was covered with bruises all over the place.

"Oh…the pain…I think…I think I'm about…to black out…" Brian could barely speak, but thankfully, Gumball came by and managed to hold his friend rather still before they headed to the nurse's office. Following this, the crowd soon discussed what they have seen, especially Tina's friends.

"Wow!" Jamie spoke with a tone of shock and disbelief. "I knew Tina can be violent, but even I find this disturbing."

"Maybe she knew fully well that what she was about to do was simply too disturbing for any of us to handle." Anton responded.

As the crowd's discussion continues, Darwin and Anais noticed Tina coming by. The duo clearly expressed their disappointment at the carnivore for her apparent, selfish action. Then, the dinosaur smiled and simply winked right back at them. It was then that the duo realized what truly occurred. With this, the duo headed towards to Gumball's direction to inform the blue feline of what really happened.

* * *

Brian and the Watterson siblings made their way to the school's entrance, once they were certain that everyone has went their separate ways for today. The purple fox was relieved that both Darwin and Anais managed to get to the nurse's office just in time, both to explain Gumball of what really occurred between him and Tina, as well as drawing the nurse's suspicion away from his "injuries" and sudden recovery. It also helped that the child prodigy was quick to repair the damages from his clothes, remove the dust that were on him and undo his messy hair. Thank goodness his mother hasn't shown up yet or she would have panicked.

As the four sat on the steps, Brian turned his attention to the trio.

"I don't know how you three managed to convince Tina to let me off the hook, but I'm grateful for whatever you guys did."

"Don't mention it." Darwin cheerfully said.

"Besides…" Anais began to talk. "It was Gumball who needs to be thanked. He came up with the idea to talk Tina Rex into giving you a break."

"Heh, it was nothing." Gumball bashfully responded, scratching his head sheepishly. Brian couldn't help but smile.

"Regardless, it was nice of you guys to help me out of this situation."

Just then, someone honked on the wheel, gaining Brian's attention. The purple fox turns around and saw his mother on the driveway, waiting patiently for him, before he turns to the trio.

"Looks like my ride's shown up; does anyone need a ride home?" Brian asked as he was getting into the vehicle.

"Thanks, but we know our way around town." Darwin responded.

"Alright then, see you guys tomorrow." With that, Brian waved his good-byes to the Watterson kids before they disappeared from his sight. Mrs. O'Quinn noticed her son's mood and his actions as she and her son drove home and couldn't help but smile.

"Didn't I tell you that you'll make a few friends around here?" she noted about their previous conversation this morning.

"And you were right mom. Not only that, they managed to leave a good impression." Brian responded back with a smile.

"I'm glad you're giving this town and your new school a chance."

As Mrs. O'Quinn continues to drive, Brian looked out through the window, thinking of the crazy event that had occurred since this morning.

"_It may not have been a perfect day, but everything turned out alright in the end. Maybe Elmore isn't such a bad place after all."_

As Brian looks forward to his new life, he remains blissfully unaware of the misadventures both he and his new friends would find themselves in and how much of an influence they would have on him.

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 4-The Sleepover-Part 1_

_Brian decides to visit his new friends for the weekend in order to get to know them a lot better and soon discovers just how unusual their family lives are, especially when he meets their parents for the first time._

**Tidbits**

**-Sorry if this chapter is a few pages shorter, but at the very least, this concludes the Kid as well as Brian's first (and certainly not the last) misadventures he finds himself in.**

**-Regarding a love interest, it's way too soon to give him one yet. However, at some point, it'll certainly happen, but for now, I want to focus on Brian's misadventures with the Wattersons.**

**As always, I wouldn't have completed this chapter without some help from my beta reader and I want to thank him for that. **

**Hope you enjoyed reading and see ya next chapter!**


	4. The Sleepover: Part 1

**I want to thank my beta reader for his suggestion on this chapter. It helped me a lot and I appreciate it. :)**

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 4-The Sleepover: Part 1

The next few days of school have been quiet and peaceful, something that Brian doesn't mind for once. Just as she had promised, Tina left Brian alone for the time being, something that wouldn't happened without the intervention of the Watterson kids. Aside from getting to school on time, Miss Simian staring right down at him like a hawk and being asked about his sudden recovery from his so-called "fight" with Tina, the days were pretty much uneventful. He was just glad he could make it through the first week at Elmore Junior High and for good reason: it was Friday and he was looking forward to the weekend.

Once the school bell rang for the last time, Brian, along with the rest of his fellow classmates, headed to their assigned lockers to put away their materials until next week. While making his way to his locker, he spotted Gumball and Darwin at their lockers, already putting their stuff away.

"Hey guys." Brian said to the duo.

"Hey Brian." Gumball and Darwin responded simultaneously.

"Any of you guys have plans for the weekend?" Brian asked his friends

"We're just going to hang out at home, playing games and watch TV." Gumball responded to the purple fox. "What about you, Brian?"

"Nothing at the moment, considering I'm new in town." Brian ponders for a while, hoping something worthwhile would come up in his head. Then, it hit him.

"Say, is it alright if I come over to your house for the weekend? You know, like a sleepover or something?"

Gumball and Darwin stopped dead in their tracks, clearly surprised by this. Taking notice of their reaction, Brian raised his eyebrow with curiosity.

"Are you guys alright? Was it something I said?"

"It's not that, Brian." Darwin began to speak. "It's just we never expect you to ask something like that."

"Not to mention that we never had someone stay over for the weekend." Gumball said to Brian. "Besides, we've only been friends for a few days and we haven't introduced you to our parents yet."

"That's no problem Gumball. Just tell them that you invited me to stop by. I'm sure they'll understand. Of course, I'll have to ask permission from my parents first."

"I don't know, Brian." Gumball said with uncertainty.

"But Gumball…" Darwin began to talk. "Brian's our best friend. We helped prevent Tina from creaming him. It's the least thing we can do."

Gumball looked back at Brian, then to Darwin, then back to the fox. Giving himself a smile, he knows exactly what he has in mind.

"Alright Brian, you can come by at our house for a sleepover. Just come by at nine in the morning. By the way, here's our address." Once Gumball finished writing down the information, he gives the piece of paper to Brian.

"So it's settled then. See you tomorrow." With that, Brian shook the feline's paw before he heads out to the school entrance. Already, he's looking forward to spending some time with his friends and getting to know them much better.

* * *

Brian looked at through the window from the back of the car, a bit eager to spend some time with the Watterson kids and to finally get a chance to meet their parents this Saturday morning, while his mother drove him to his destination. He was up all night packing up a few belongings in a suitcase, as well as looking on the internet to find the directions for the Watterson residence; thankfully, it wasn't that far from where he lived.

He also talked his parents into allowing him to spend the weekend with his friends. His mother didn't seem to mind, but his father was another story. When asked further about his new friends, he insisted that they were trustworthy and well-meaning; although a bit suspicious, he eventually gave his approval to his son.

As Brian pondered how his father would have reacted to the kind of people he had befriended, he let that slide for the moment, as he and his mother finally arrived at their destination. Brian looked at the Watterson residence from the car; it was a nice, modest house, neither big nor small compared to the other houses, but it was modest nevertheless. Brian then noticed his mother had turned her attention to him.

"Alright Brian, I want you to be on you best behavior and remember, be safe."

"Don't worry mom, I'll be fine. Besides, I'll be at their house for the entire day."

"I know you can take care of yourself, but I wanted you to be safe."

"I know mom, and I appreciate it."

"Thanks and don't forget, I'll pick you up by Sunday afternoon."

Once those words were exchanged, Brian left the car and waved his goodbyes to his mother, before she drove to the opposite direction, disappearing from his sights. Turning his attention to the house, Brian, carrying his luggage on his side, headed to the front door and proceeded to ring the bell. A few seconds later, the door opens and Brian got a glimpsed of the figure standing right in front of him.

She was an adult, a feline and obviously his friends' mother, who shares similar appearance to her son: blue fur and six whiskers, but smaller. She wore a collared shirt with a rainbow badge on it and a light grey skirt. Noticing the purple fox in front of her, she smiled before she proceeded to talk.

"Hello there. You must be Brian, the new kid that my sons been talking about. Don't worry, they asked for my permission. I'm Nicole Watterson and it's so nice to meet you."

"It's a pleasure meeting you, Mrs. Watterson." Brian then shook Mrs. Watterson's paw.

"Well come right in and make yourself at home." Nicole then stepped aside to allow Brian in before she closed the door right behind her.

* * *

As Nicole helped Brian put his luggage near the door, the purple fox got a good view inside the house, specifically the living room. It seemed a bit cozy, with the usual items all around: a TV, a few picture frames near the stairs and a couch. He also notice a large, pink bunny sitting on the couch, with short, black whiskers on the side of his face, wearing a white shirt with a black tie and light, brown pants. He didn't seem to notice the purple fox, as he was blissfully flipping channels on the TV with a remote.

"_So this must be their father. I wonder what he does for-" _Brian's thoughts were suddenly interrupted when Nicole spoke to her husband.

"Richard, would you mind taking your eyes off the TV and introduce yourself to our guest?"

"Sure sweetie, just as soon as I find something good to watch." Richard responded to his wife, his eyes remain glued to the TV.

Unimpressed by her husband's answer, Nicole slightly growled before slamming her fist through the wall, causing both Richard and Brian to yelp in fear.

"_Whoa! I didn't see that one coming!"_ Brian didn't expect someone like Nicole to make such a move, but it did prove to be effective, as Brian noticed the fear in Richard's face.

"Y-you know, I s-suddenly don't feel l-like watching." Richard fearfully spoke to his wife before turning the TV off.

"That's more like it. If one of you needs me, I'll be doing some chores." Nicole happily said, before she went upstairs to do her business. Once she was out of their sight, Brian turned his attention to Richard, still a bit shaken from Nicole's action.

"So…my name is Brian and it's nice to meet you, Mr. Watterson." Brian makes his way to Richard and extends his arm to the pink bunny, who stood up and shook his hand in return, albeit slowly.

"_Alright, this is becoming rather awkward."_ Noticing the fox's behavior, Richard scratched his head sheepishly before he started to talk.

"Sorry about that Brian, but I get really nervous whenever she does those things."

"Don't worry about that, Mr. Watterson; I'm just surprised as you are." Brian chuckled, though a bit uncomfortable from what he had seen, prompting him to remind himself.

"_Note to self: do NOT make Mrs. Watterson very upset."_

"Say, I bet you're wondering where Gumball and Darwin are?"

"Now that you mention it, where are they?" Brian had almost completely forgotten about them and realized that they were nowhere to be found.

"They're back in the backyard, just lying around on the grass." Richard responded.

"Thanks Mr. Watterson." With that, Brian proceeded to head to the backyard, while Richard promptly sat on the couch and turned on the TV, flipping one channel after another.

* * *

Out in the backyard, Gumball and Darwin laid around on the grass, looking up at the clouds in the sky; all the while trying to do something fun for today.

"So Darwin…" Gumball started to talk. "You got anything?"

"I've got nothing so far, Gumball. What about you?"

"Still nothing, buddy. However, I do have a nagging feeling that we're forgetting something."

"Hey guys!"

The duo stopped what they were doing and turned to see Brian standing right behind them, causing them to yelp. Gumball then wondered what the purple fox was doing here to begin with. It took about a few seconds for him to realize that he and Darwin had invited Brian to come by at their house for the weekend.

"Sorry Brian, we were just thinking of what to do today that we almost forgot you were coming by today." Gumball said, scratching his head sheepishly.

"That's alright, Gumball. Apology accepted. Anyway, am I interrupting anything?"

"Not really, Brian." Darwin responded. "Gumball and I have been trying to think of something to do all morning and we still got nothing."

Brian pondered for a moment, hoping to help the two to find something to do. Then, it hit him right in the head.

"Say, how about if you two show me the kind of games you normally enjoyed?"

"You know, that may not be such a bad idea after all." Gumball replied, liking Brian's suggestion.

"Hey Gumball, why don't we show him 'I'm the President'?" Darwin asked

"'I'm the President'? What kind of game is that?" Brian was a bit curious, but at the same, intrigued.

"It's simple, really." Gumball started to explain. "I'm the President and you have to do what I have to say." The blue feline then turned to Darwin, who appeared to be ready for instruction.

"Darwin, I want you to bring me a jar of peppers this instance."

"Yes sir, Mr. President, sir!" Darwin said, before he headed into the house. Gumball noticed that Brian just stood there, a bit perplexed by this.

"You're kidding, right?"

"You have to, I'm the President!" Gumball shouted with pride. Brian, however, remained unconvinced.

"But…why should I?"

"Mr. President Sir! I have returned with the item as requested!" Darwin announced his return, carrying with him a jar of peppers. The fish then laid the jar on the ground and opened the lid, releasing a strong smell, prompting the fox to plug his nose, while Gumball took a quick sniff of the odor, causing his eyes to water.

"Hot and spicy, just the way I like it. Darwin, bottoms up." With that, Gumball and his friend proceeded to pick up and drop the pepper into their mouths; a few seconds later, fire spewed out of their mouths, causing the duo to scream in agony and running around in circles for a moment, before they fell flat to the ground and the fire extinguished out of their mouths. Brian just stared at their antic and simply rolled his eyes.

"That was rather dumb."

"That's the whole point of the game." Darwin responded, which made the fox feel rather uneasy.

"Um, is there another game that doesn't involved putting anything dangerous in the mouth?"

Gumball and Darwin thought for a moment, trying to find something he can enjoy. After a moment, they found one that he might like.

"Hang on a second, Brian. We'll be right back." Gumball and Darwin then headed back into the house. After a few seconds, they dashed back out almost immediately, quickly blindfolding Brian's eyes, much to his confusion.

"What does blindfolding me have to something to do with fun?" The fox asked his friends, who are also blindfolded.

"Simple Brian; this is part of a game we like to call extreme hot potato." Gumball responded. Oddly enough, Brian seemed rather intrigued by this game.

"Sounds like a rather interesting game so far. What are the rules?"

"That's simple, Brian…" Darwin began to explain. "One of us holds the "hot potato" in our hands and tries to throw it back to the person without looking. If you don't make the throw or dropped it, you lose."

"I like the sound of that idea. Do you mind if I go first?"

"Sure Brian, go ahead." Gumball said, before throwing the object onto the fox's paws.

Once Brian got the object within his reach, almost immediately he felt something wrong. His paws felt warm, too warm in fact. Also, for some strange reason, he smelled something cooking right in front of him. Did the two just bring him something to eat? It almost smelled like a potato, freshly cooked from the oven and…burning his paws!

Brian screamed in agony upon this realization, running around in circles and juggling the hot potato back and forth all over the backyard, all in an effort to prevent further burning from his paws. Gumball and Darwin also panicked, realizing that this was not how they planned out. After what felt like a long time, Brian finally threw the hot spud as fast as he could, landing right into the sewer. Once he was certain that his paws were no longer holding the hot potato, Brian ripped the blindfold off of his face and angrily confronted the duo, who also removed theirs as well and nervously stared at him.

"What was that about?! When I agreed to play hot potato, I didn't mean literally!"

Gumball and Darwin looked nervously at one another and then to their angry friend. Taking a deep breath, there was only one thing that Gumball and Darwin could do.

"We're sorry about that; we just wanted to have something we can all enjoy." Gumball said to Brian.

"But we just ended up making the day rather awful." Darwin responded.

The anger that was seething out of Brian disappeared, recognizing the guilt on the duo's face. He realized that what they did wasn't on purpose, but their type of fun was rather extreme for him. Still, it was better to forgive than be angry at them for the entire day.

"Apology accepted, but seriously, at least give me a heads up next time."

Gumball and Darwin smiled, a bit relieved that Brian was no longer angry at them. Wanting to change the subject, Darwin eagerly spoke up.

"I know what we should do. Why not check out some of our video games?"

"Best idea I heard all day." Brian said, before him, Gumball and Darwin head back into the house.

* * *

For the next several hours, the trio was spending time playing video games, watching a few DVDs and reading a few comics that were hanging around. He even tried out Fruit Ball, which strangely, was the only activity he enjoyed from the duo, aside from getting himself covered in piles of discarded fruits.

After taking a quick shower, he and the duo headed right downstairs for dinner, where everyone was already at the table, including Anais, who was apparently busy in her room studying all day. As Brian, Gumball and Darwin made their way to their seats, they couldn't resist the smell of the aroma from the mash potatoes and oven-baked chicken.

"That's some good food you got there, Mrs. Watterson." Brian said to Nicole.

"Well, I don't like to brag, but I can whip a few dishes every now and then."

"Honey, you always cook the best stuff." said Richard, already stuffing his face with some mash potatoes.

"Richard! Please don't eat like that, especially in front of our guest!" Nicole scolded her husband, prompting to hang his head with shame.

"Anyway…" Brian began to speak, trying to change the subject. "What exactly do you do for a living, Mrs. Watterson?"

"Well, Brian, I worked at the Rainbow Factory as a saleswoman providing services whenever possible. It's not much, but it pays rather well." Brian was a bit perplexed by this answer, especially with a name like the Rainbow Factory

"_The name sounds rather unusual, but at least that answers one of my questions so far."_ Brian then turned his attention to Richard, who was now eating a drumstick in a rather messy fashion.

"So, Mr. Watterson, what kind of work do you do?"

Brian's question prompted Richard to drop his drumstick on the plate, before laughing nervously and scratching his head sheepishly.

"Well…the thing is, I don't actually work at all. I just spend most of the time watching TV, playing games and look after the kids when my wife's off to work. I tried getting a job once, but it got complicated."

Brian was a bit surprised to hear this from Richard, but decided to let it slide. After all, he seemed like a rather nice guy.

"So Brian, do you want to say anything about yourself?" Darwin's question took Brian by complete surprised; that was the last thing he would anticipate.

"You guys want to know about me?"

"Well of course; after all, you've been around for a few days and we wanted to know more about you ever since we met."

"I don't know, you guys. There's nothing special about me."

"Nonsense, Brian…" said Nicole. "I'm sure you have some interesting moments. For example, how was your first day at your new school?"

"It…was rather complicated to begin with, but otherwise, it turned out well." As Brian responded to Nicole's question, Anais glared at Gumball and Darwin about the fight incident, prompting the duo to chuckle nervously. Thankfully, their mom and dad weren't paying any attention to their demeanor at the moment.

"Where do you live before you and your folks arrived in Elmore?" ask Richard.

Brian felt uncomfortable about this, but not wanting to disappoint or upset the family, he took a deep breath and started to explain.

"Well, long story short, we used to live in Folsom for a long while before my dad's job resulted in all of us moving here."

"Speaking of job, what does your mom and dad do for a living?" Anais asked.

"My mom is a new age alternative health therapist and my dad does software engineering for a living."

"Wow! Your dad must have a cool job." Gumball excitedly exclaimed.

"I wish." Brian muttered

"What was that?" Gumball asked

"Nothing." Brian responded to his friend's question, pretending he didn't say anything.

"Well, Brian, I hope you enjoy your stay in Elmore. It can be pretty hectic around here." Nicole said.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Watterson, but thanks, though."

With that, Brian and the rest of the Watterson family resumed eating their meal.

* * *

Once everyone was finished for the evening, Nicole had to drive off to work almost right away, with Richard assuring that everything will be fine with him in charge.

Of course, as soon as his wife left the house, he immediately fell right to sleep on the couch, much to Brian's surprise. Then again, this might have been a common occurrence that Gumball, Darwin and Anais were use to. Once Anais went upstairs to her bedroom, he and the duo turned on the TV, each holding a bowl of popcorn, intending to watch a late-night movie, while lowering the volume down to avoid waking up both rabbits that were fast asleep.

"You know Gumball, today didn't turned out so bad after all, despite what happened this morning." Brian said.

"Yeah, but we did have some fun, didn't we?"

"Of course we did; I just wish this day didn't have to end so fast."

"Quiet, you guys. The movie is about to start." Darwin said, prompting the two to be quiet as the movie began.

In the midst of all of this, Gumball, Darwin and Brian failed to notice a figure hiding in the dead of night, waiting for the moment to strike.

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 5-The Sleepover: Part 2_

_When Gumball, Darwin and Brian get an unexpected visitor, the trio must find a way to outwit him before Nicole comes home._

**Tidbits**

**-This chapter proved to be quite challenging then I imagine, but at the same time it did help me to be rather creative.**

**-Originally, there was going to be a conversation between Brian and Anais, but it felt time consuming, so I have to cut the entire scene out instead.**

**Once again, I want to thank my beta reader for his suggestion. I did the best as I could for this chapter. Just hope the second part won't take me as long as this one.**

**Hope you enjoyed reading and see ya next chapter!**


	5. The Sleepover: Part 2

**Update: Made a slight change for the summary for Chapter 6, but otherwise it's pretty much the same. I apologized for this and hopefully it doesn't happened again.  
**

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 5-The Sleepover: Part 2

It had been almost an hour since the movie started and as far as Gumball, Darwin and Brian were concerned, this is the one and only opportunity they might have for the weekend before Monday. Apparently, the trio was watching a rather old, cheesy science fiction film from the 50s, something about an alien invasion. So far, they had reached a scene where the main character, the mad scientist, is pacing in his lab with his beautiful lab assistant, pondering how to stop the aliens.

"There must be a way to counter these aliens before all of mankind is doom." the professor mumbled, pacing back and forth and pondering while his assistant looked on with uncertainty.

"Professor, there's something I must confess." the assistant spoke.

"Whatever it is, save it for another time. Right now, I'm concentrating on the task at hand." the professor was at the chalkboard, writing up various diagrams and mathematical numbers. The assistant, meanwhile, remained uncomfortable and agitated at the same time.

"But professor, this can't wait any longer."

Annoyed by her complaints, the professor turned to confront his assistant, but before he could say anything, she suddenly transformed into a supposedly hideous being, based on the shadow casting over the now horrified professor's face.

"No. NO! Get away from me, you monstrous fiend!"

Gumball, Darwin and Brian couldn't help but chuckle at this scene. It was by far the lamest thing they have ever seen in their lives: the special effects weren't that spectacular, the actors were quite lame and they barely even had a glimpse of what these aliens supposed to look like.

"Oh man, this is such a joke. I can't believe anyone would consider that to be scary." Gumball said, while taking some popcorn from his bowl.

"No kidding, Gumball; I mean, the plot seems rather ridiculous and silly and the acting was quite lousy." Brian responded.

"Plus, none of us have actually seen what these aliens look like. To be honest, it's pretty lame." Darwin spoke.

In spite of their amusements and criticism over the awful acting, plot and special effects, they decided to continue watching the movie regardless of these factors. As they continued watching the movie, while stuffing their faces with handfuls of popcorns, the trio unexpectedly heard the doorbell rang, prompting them to yelp in response.

"Looks like Mrs. Mom came home much earlier than expected." Darwin noted.

"Let's put everything away and head to the bedroom before Mom gets inside." Gumball spoke.

"Good idea, Gumball, but let's be quiet so we don't wake up your dad and your sister." Brian responded.

With that, Gumball turned off the TV while Darwin and Brian put the bowl of popcorns on the table, before they made their way upstairs to sleep. But before Brian could step into the duo's bedroom, the doorbell rang again, getting his attention and curiosity.

"_I wonder why Mrs. Watterson didn't just use the-"_ His thoughts were interrupted when the door bell rang twice. It appears that Nicole was becoming rather impatient.

"Hang on a minute, you guys. I'll be right back." Brian then headed downstairs to the front door so he could let their mother in. He just hoped that Nicole would at least let him explain why it took so long.

"_Well, here goes nothing."_ Brian then opened the door for Mrs. Watterson, his eyes briefly off from her and scratching his head sheepishly.

"I'm sorry for the delay, but there's a good-" before he could even finish his sentence, a strong force out of nowhere hit Brian in the head, leaving the purple fox in a daze, before everything went dark.

* * *

After what feels like a long time, Brian managed to regain conscience, despite having blurry vision and a sharp pain in his head. Once his vision eventually cleared up, he noticed a few things wrong with this scene.

For starters, he realized that he was no longer downstairs to begin with; instead, he found himself in a barely lit room with a small window, filled with piles of boxes and junk all over the place. Then, he noticed that he was sitting on a chair, which felt rather rough and sturdy, as well as ropes binding him to said chair. When Brian attempted to free himself, the rope remained tight, no matter how much of a struggle he put in to it.

"_Whoever did this must have been some experienced with this."_

"Gumball, Brian's awake."

Startled to hear Darwin's voice, Brian turned to see the two-legged fish, as well as the blue feline, each bound in a similar chair. Once the shock wore off, Brian eventually spoke.

"What's going on? Why are we tied up on these chairs, and in the attic of all places?"

"Keep your voice's down, Brian. He'll hear you." Gumball nervously responded.

"Who is 'he' by any chance?"

"He meant me, sucker." A voice with a strong New York accent spoke out of nowhere.

Brian, along with Gumball and Darwin, turned to the source of the voice and saw the figure slowly coming out of the shadow. Immediately, the duo yelped upon seeing him, while Brian was puzzled by the robber. Standing right in front of him was an oversized fingerprint, wearing nothing but a domino mask, with two skinny arms and legs that were rather short compared to his body. The robber paced in the attic back and forth, his face filled with amusements when he laid eyes on the helpless captives.

"Look who we have here, if it isn't the runts from the gas station the other day." The robber then leaned towards to Brian with a smug look.

"Oh and here's the runt who made my whole job easier by letting me in. Seriously, I can't believe you just fall for such a simple trick." The robber then proceeded to cackle by this. Brian responded by glaring at the robber.

"Just let us go and leave."

"So you and your buddies could call the police or that crazy woman that lived here? Not a chance, sucker." The robber then shuddered when he realized he had mention Nicole, who gave him such a severe beating after his failed robbery attempt and muttered something about how it's all in his head.

"Well, there's no way you can get away with this." said Gumball.

"Well see about that, runt. In the mean time, you and your pals stay put or else!" The robber pulled what appears to be a…dirty, rusted spoon from his back? Brian was puzzled by the robber's unusual weapon of choice.

"_Is he really serious? What kind of moron tries to intimidate anyone with a-"_

"Oh my goodness, he's got a spoon!" Darwin fearfully shouted, prompting the purple fox to turn his attention on him and Gumball, now shuddering with fear at the mere sight of the robber's weapon of choice. Brian, on the other hand, couldn't help but snicker, gaining the robber's attention.

"What's so funny, runt?" he asked, raising an eyebrow with curiosity

"I'm sorry; it's just that it's the lamest thing I have ever seen. Seriously, what are you going to do, feed us?" Brian continued to snicker, despite the situation he fined himself in. What happened next, however, was quite unexpected.

"You know runt, you're right. A spoon wouldn't be a serious threat…" the robber discarded the spoon and pulled something else from his back. "But I bet you this is!"

Brian's eyes grew wide open, his head sweating like crazy and trembling in fear at the sight of the object before he finally shouted…

"Oh my goodness, he's got a ray gun!"

Indeed, the next weapon of choice was an fashion, ray gun that was mostly seen in 1950s science fiction films. The only difference, however, is that it was in working condition and looked like it really could do some serious damage. Satisfied to see the fox's reaction, the robber proceeded to leave the attic until he was out of their sight, but not before he closed the only entrance behind him.

Brian, still a bit shaken by this, noticed that Gumball and Darwin were looking at him with disappointment, oblivious to the scene they witnessed earlier.

"Are you serious Brian? A spoon won't make you afraid but a ray gun would?" asked Gumball. The fox simply glared at his friend in response.

"Now's not the time, Gumball. We need to get ourselves out of here and call Mrs. Watterson immediately."

"But how do we do that? These ropes are so tight I could barely feel my arms."

"Why not use that loose nail sticking out on the post?" Darwin asked.

Gumball and Brian paused for a moment and turned to see one of the posts had a loose nail sticking out. Once they saw it, the trio couldn't help but grin, as they know exactly what to do.

* * *

Sal Left Thumb tiptoed as quietly as he could once he exited the attic before making his way downstairs; the last thing he wanted is to alert the large, pink bunny of his presence. Then again, he has been asleep for the last several minutes, despite the scuffle that occurred upstairs earlier. In any case, he should be quite safe for the moment.

Earlier, he had already checked both the master bedroom and the runts' bedroom for some good deals, but so far, he has yet to find anything that caught his interest. The other runt's bedroom was locked and although Sal thought about it, he decided not to barge in; it was simply too risky and she could inform the cops about his presence.

As Sal made his way to the stairs, he slowly crept up to the picture frames and one after another, he inspected behind each frame, hoping to at least find a safe. Much to his disappointment, none of the frames contained a hidden vault, not even a glimpse as far as he could tell. He made a quick check under the couch for some hidden valuables, but found nothing but dust bunnies and a few junks. At this point, Sal was starting to get frustrated by this.

"Darn it! Where are all the loots?!" he shouted, flailing his arms around. Not wanting to waste anymore time, he quickly made his way upstairs and to the attic as quickly as he could. Perhaps those kids, or at least the cat and his two-legged fish pal, knows where to find some good valuables.

"Alright, you suckers, if you valued your lives, your going to tell me where the-" As soon as Sal opened the entrance, he notice that none of the kids were tied to their chairs. Needless to say, Sal's temper started to boil up, displeased by this outcome.

"Where are you suckers?!" Sal demanded, before he drew his ray gun from his back and started to inspect one pile after another. But after checking through several piles of junk, he couldn't find the trio at all. Where did they all go? They certainly didn't go through the window and the only entrance was locked. They couldn't have disappeared to thin air. Their antics were causing Sal's patience to reach its limits.

"Play times over, suckers! Show your sorry faces and I'll considered going easy on you runts!" Sal exclaimed, before resuming his search.

As Sal started to check the piles of junk for the second time, he felt something sticking on his back. Suddenly, 10,000 jolts of electricity were coursing throughout his entire body, putting Sal in a state of shock for a few seconds, before he fell flat on the floor. Gumball, Darwin and Brian poke their heads behind the post.

"Wow that was some quick thinking back there, Gumball." said Darwin.

"I know. Who would have thought that Fat Electro device would be so useful to take down an intruder?" Gumball responded.

"Um, guys…" Brian began to talk. "Let's get out of here before he recovers. I really don't want to stick around and see what he does next."

Nodding their heads in agreement, the trio made a mad dash to the attic's entrance, locking it from behind in the process. Sal, meanwhile, briefly got up, his face filled with deep rage. Those little punks would pay for that!

* * *

"Anais! Anais! Anais!"

Gumball, Darwin and Brian were shouting and banging on the door of Anais' room as loud as they could, hoping to get the child prodigy's attention very quickly. What they did to Sal in the attic was just pure luck; they needed some extra help to outsmart him.

After what felt like a long time, the trio heard a click on the door, prompting them to back up, as Anais opens the door. The tired, pink bunny, still in her night gown, yawned and rubbed her weary eyes before she confronted the three that were banging loudly on the door. Needless to say, she wasn't in an upbeat mood.

"What do you guys want?! Do you know what time it is?!"

"Now's not the time for arguments, sis." Gumball started to explain. "Right now, we need to hide in your room before he shows up!"

Before Anais could say anything, all three of the boys dashed right into her bedroom and quickly locked the door. The next thing she knew, she heard a loud booming noise not far away, causing her to become quite anxious.

"W-w-what was that?"

"Just open the door slightly and you'll find out." a rather scared Darwin replied.

Taking his advice, Anais cracked the door a little and couldn't believe what she's seeing: it was the robber from the gas station not so long ago, but instead of carrying a spoon, it looked like he was carrying a ray gun. The sight of the robber was enough for the child prodigy to tremble in fear and shuts the door quietly, before she confronts the trio.

"How did he get in here to begin with?" Anais asked the trio, prompting Gumball and Darwin to focus their attention on to Brian, who hung his head with shame.

"I'm sorry, you guys; I really wasn't paying any attention. I swear, I didn't mean to let him in."

"Don't be so hard on yourself." says Darwin.

"Darwin's right…" Gumball started to talk. "What happened was an accident. Besides, none of us knew it was him either."

"It's alright, Brian." said Anais. "I'm sure you didn't do it on purpose. Right now, I think I know how to buy us some time."

With that, the child prodigy proceeded to rub her feet on the carpet.

* * *

"Alright, suckers. You better come out and show yourselves. I might even go easy on you twerps for that dirty trick you pulled off." Sal exclaimed, as he searched for the trio, his hand gripping the ray gun. Just a minute ago, the robber was forced to shoot the entrance when he discovered the trio locked him inside after he got knocked out. Still, as far as he was concerned, he's the only one armed in the house; he shouldn't be worried about a bunch of little punks doing any harm to him.

"Oh no, I hope he doesn't find us in here."

Sal stopped in his tracks and turned to the direction of the voice. He glanced and saw the blue feline's head sticking out of the previous locked bedroom before closing it. Smiling, Sal made his way to the door, determine to finish this.

"You twerps just made the biggest mistake of your-"

As soon as his hand touches the knob, Sal felt another surge of electricity enter his body, as he shouted out in complete agony, before falling to the floor unconscious, his body twitching from the aftershock.

Shortly thereafter, the door slightly opened, as Gumball inspected the unconscious robber to be certain that he is knocked out, before turning his little sister.

"Looks like that trick of yours worked, Anais."

"I'm just actually surprised he fell for it." Anais responded.

"Um, guys…" Brian started to talk. "If you two are done talking, we need to get downstairs quickly."

With that, the Watterson siblings and Brian made their way downstairs as fast as they could before the robber regained consciousness. Once they reached the bottom of the steps, Brian was amazed to find Richard still asleep, snoring rather loudly, despite the ruckus they made upstairs. Undaunted by this, he, Gumball and Darwin made their way towards the large, pink bunny while Anais heads to the phone to call Nicole.

"Mr. Watterson, wake up! There's an intruder in the house armed with a ray gun and he's going to get up anytime!" Brian shouted to the sleeping rabbit, who remained completely unresponsive despite this.

"Wait a second; I think I know what will wake him up." Gumball said, before he pulled a blow horn out of his pocket and pressing it as hard as he can. But much to his dismay, Richard continued to sleep.

"Let me give it a shot." Darwin spoke, making his way towards Richard. Carefully aiming his flipper, he proceeded to slap him in the face, stunned to see that even his slap wasn't effective enough to wake the large bunny.

"Wow! Waking up Mr. Dad is like trying to wake up a brick wall."

"Well, this is going to be more problematic than we thought." said Brian.

While the boys wondered how to wake up Richard, Anais, on the other hand, had been waiting for her mother to respond from work. She doesn't know how long this will take until the robber shows up, but she prayed it would be as soon as possible. Finally, much to her joy, she could her Nicole from the other line.

"Hello?" she asked with curiosity.

"Mom, it's so good to hear you." Anais said with excitement.

"Anais? Why are you calling me this late? Actually, why are you awake to begin with?"

"I'll explain everything later…" Anais responded. "Right now, we really need you here because there is a-"

Before Anais could finish her sentence, the phone was blown into bits, leaving the child prodigy with only the receiver and the remains of the cord. The explosion also caught the trio's attention as well, as they all turned in the direction of the shot. Standing right in front of them was the robber, who has managed to recover from the shock he received earlier; his face was deep red, clearly angry for getting electrocuted twice in one night, his hand gripping on the ray gun, ready to pull the trigger anytime.

"Playtime is over, suckers! This time, I mean serious business!"

With that, he proceeded to shoot wildly at the four, all the while laughing like a complete lunatic. Startled, Gumball, Darwin, Anais and Brian panicked, screaming in sheer terror and dodging each and every shot from the robber's ray gun. Fortunately for them, Sal's erratic aiming only succeeded in destroying parts of the house, including the roof and the living room. Even more amazing, Richard, still sleeping on the couch, managed to dodge each shot from Sal's gun.

After several minutes of dodging and screaming, both the Watterson siblings and Brian dashed towards the kitchen, turning the table to form some cover, hoping to avoid any further shots from Sal. Gumball, still panting and breathing, was the first to talk.

"Darwin…won't you check… to see…if he's…still here."

Darwin nodded his head in agreement and poked from the table to see if the mad robber was still there, waving his ray gun wildly, before he turned his attention to the group.

"I think he's gone, Gumball."

As if on cue, a laser shot through the table, but the group barely dodged it just in time. All four poked their head to see Sal, still in the house and armed with the laser gun, slowly making his way towards the group, who could only trembled in fear as he came closer.

"You know, suckers…" Sal started to talk. "I was going to leave you guys alone once I find some good loot, but after being zapped twice in the same night, I think I'm going to punished all of you instead."

As Sal got closer to the terrified group, aiming his ray gun towards them, he unexpectedly stepped on a discarded popcorn on the floor, unaware of what was about to happen next.

* * *

Richard was snoozing peacefully all night ever since his wife left for work. Everyone was in bed and as far as he was concerned, he had a lot of time to sleep until tomorrow comes. For now, he just wants to sleep on the couch as long as he can.

But just then, his ears managed to pick up a loud but faint noise, prompting the large, pink bunny to wake up. Startled by the noise, Richard headed to the kitchen as fast as he could, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw his kids and their fox friend hiding behind the table. Richard was puzzled by this; why were they up at this time of night? Shouldn't they be in bed by now, or did they just come by to grab a late snack?

Before he could say anything, Richard spots an unexpected surprise: it was the robber from the gas station the other night. But instead of holding that dreadful spoon he was carrying with him, he was holding an old ray gun. The robber stopped what he was doing and notice Richard, now awake, looking directly at him, leaving him stunned and speechless.

But Richard saw something he never thought would happen: the robber was standing on a piece of popcorn, crumbled all over his foot. He couldn't believe the sight he was witnessing right now.

"_How could he do something so cruel and inhumane?"_

Then, his expression suddenly became serious and with one war cry, Richard proceeded to leap on top of Sal, still speechless, as he dropped his ray gun and froze from this unexpected action.

"Uh…oh." was all Sal could say, before everything went dark.

* * *

Thanks to Sal's erratic shooting, the Doughnut Sheriff arrived at the Watterson residence, finding the house partially damaged, as well as finding the robber currently trapped underneath Richard's massive bulk. Amazingly, the robber managed to survive, but still suffered serious injuries, including a few broken ribs, a bruised eye and missing some of his teeth.

As the police officer hauls the injured robber in the back of the police cruiser, he turned his attention to the Watterson family, as well as their fox guest; he was especially focusing his attention on Richard.

"You should be glad that his injuries weren't too severe; otherwise, it would have been an entirely different outcome."

"Sorry about that…" Richard started to explain, scratching his head sheepishly. "Looks like I got carried away over there."

"Fair enough, sir" the Doughnut Sheriff replied. The police officer then turned his attention to the partially destroyed house before focusing on the group.

"You sure you don't need any help getting this place fixed?"

"That's alright, officer." Gumball responded. "We got everything under control."

"If you say so; right now, I'll have to bring this poor fellow to the hospital before taking him to jail."

With that, the Doughnut Sheriff went into his vehicle and drove Sal to his destination, until he was out of the group's sights. Although the Wattersons were relieved that tonight's event was over, Brian, on the other hand, still feels bad for triggering it to begin with. The purple fox then turned his attention to the group, hoping they would at least listen.

"I'm really sorry I ruined everyone's night." Brian began explaining. "I just wished I had paid more attention before everything went crazy."

"Don't worry about it, Brian." Gumball responded. "We've already told you, it's not your fault and we didn't expect it to happen either."

Brian was comfort by this, certain that neither he nor his family was upset by his actions.

"Besides…" Darwin began explaining. "This happens to us all the time."

"The boys are right, Brian." Richard suddenly spoke. "But after a while, you get used to them."

Brian was surprised to hear this, especially how familiar they were to these strange situations. Curious, he turned his attention to Anais for answers.

"Does this happen all the time in Elmore?" Brian asked.

"Twenty four hours, seven days a week and three hundred and sixty five days a year."

Brian was startled to hear this from the child prodigy; he never suspects that such occurrences were quite common around town.

"_This is going to take some time getting use to."_

While the purple fox was gathering his thoughts, he, as well as the Wattersons, noticed Nicole coming by, driving like mad, before parking near the sidewalk and quickly making her way towards them.

"Is it everyone alright?! I came here as fast as I could!"

"It's alright mom…" Gumball explained. "There's nothing to worry about anymore."

"Plus, we owe it all to Mr. Watterson. You could say he manage to solve the situation almost right away." said Brian.

"Oh, it was nothing." Richard chuckled, scratching his head sheepishly. Nicole sighed, relieved that nothing bad happened to them.

"I'm just glad that everyone's alright. But I just got one thing to say."

"What's that, Mrs. Mom?" asked Darwin.

"Care to explain why the house is such a mess?!" Nicole demanded, as she points to said partially destroyed house.

Richard, his children and Brian looked at one another nervously, uncertain how to answer her question, until they all focus on Gumball. Taking a deep breath, the blue feline proceeded to give his mother the best explanation he could came up.

"Well, mom, it's kind of a funny story…"

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 6-The Disguise: Part 1_

_When Gumball impulsively agreed to help Penny on her project and watch a movie with Darwin on the same day, he believes the solution to his problem is with the assistance of a reluctant Brian.  
_

**Tidbits**

**-Just to set the record straight, Sal Left Thumb is NOT a name I made up for the robber. It's his real name that I found on the Gumball wiki.**

**-I did consider using Nicole to deal with Sal, but I decided to make Richard be the solution instead.**

**-Just like the first part, this chapter was quite challenging, but this concludes The Sleepover, which of course, was based on a suggestion from my beta reader. Once again, I appreciate his help.**

******-At the request from my beta reader, in addition to references from "The Spoon", I decided to explain the set-up the story: it will follow through the show's established timeline and as such, it would make past references of most of the episodes that have aired (including those from season 2 or future seasons).**

**Hope you enjoyed reading and see ya next chapter!**


	6. The Disguise: Part 1

**I apologized it took so long, but I was quite busy at the moment. That and I suffered from a few instances of writer's blocks before I could finish this chapter. I also want to thank EvelioandZgroup for helping me out on this chapter.**

**Hopefully, this chapter was worth the wait.**

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 6-The Disguise: Part 1

It was another typical afternoon at Elmore Junior High, as the school bell rang, signaling every students in their classrooms to leave, as they made their way to the cafeteria. Gumball and Brian, along with their fellow classmates, exited Miss Simian's classroom, discussing today's unexpected pop quiz.

"I can't believe Miss Simian would do such a thing! That was just totally unfair and unjust!" Brian exclaimed, throwing his arms up in the air.

"Well Brian, that's Miss Simian. Whenever she feels like it, she'll do just to get a kick to see how we would react." Gumball explained to the disbelieving fox.

"I'm just glad the weekend is around the corner. At least then I'll be able take a moment to relax." Brian replied.

"Am I'm interrupting anything?" A soft-spoken voice asked out of the blue, prompting the duo to stopped dead in their tracks.

The moment Gumball laid his eyes on the figure, the feline suddenly become awestruck, while Brian was simply puzzled by his friend's demeanor. Standing right in front of them was a peanut with short antlers, wearing orange sneakers and a pair of red and white arm bands on her wrist.

"Hey Penny…" Gumball finally spoke. "Brian and I were just finishing our conversation. Is there something you need?"

"Actually, I do." Penny responded and smiled. "I have to do a 10 page history project that's due next Monday and I could use some help on my research."

"Wow, looks like you got your work cut-out for you." said a surprised Brian.

"Tell me about it." Penny remarked, before focusing her attention to Gumball. "Anyway, do you mind if you come by to my house and help out this afternoon?"

"Sure Penny, I'll do anything for you." Gumball responded, still awe-struck by her presence.

"That's great, Gumball." Penny spoke ecstatically. "I'll see you in a few hours then. Oh and it's nice to meet you Brian."

"It's good to make your acquaintance too, Penny and good luck on your project."

With that, Penny made her way to the cafeteria, disappearing around the corner. As Gumball sighed with happiness, he suddenly noticed the purple fox looking right at him with a grin on his face.

"Gumball, you dog."

"Wait, WHAT?!" Gumball shouted as his face turned bright red. "Brian, its n-not what it l-looks like. M-me and Penny just happens to be f-friends, t-that's all."

"Right, Gumball, I believe every word you said." Brian said sarcastically, before mimicking Gumball's awe-struck expression and mannerism.

"Sure Penny, I'll do anything for you." Brian then chuckled at his own bad performance, prompting Gumball to glare right back at him.

"Relax Gumball, there's nothing to be ashamed about." Brian started to explain. "Also, don't worry about me hitting on her. I just like Penny as a friend."

Upon hearing this, Gumball started to calm down a bit, even though he still felt embarrassed from Brian's teasing. At the same time, he was relieved that the purple fox's interest in Penny was purely platonic. That's one less competitor to worry about.

Before Gumball could say anything else, he felt a sudden tap on his shoulder, gaining his attention. It was none other than Darwin, who appeared much cheerful than usual.

"Hey, buddy, why so upbeat?" Gumball noted his friend's behavior.

"Gumball, you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me, Darwin." Gumball was quite curious to see what his pal has to offer.

"Alright, but be amazed for what I'm about to show you." Darwin then proceeds to pull something from his back and when he presented them to his friends, Gumball and Brian responded with amazements.

"Is that what I think it is?" asked Gumball.

"That's right, Gumball, I've got us tickets to watch Nocturnal Rises today!" Darwin exclaimed. "It'll be just you and me all day at the movie theatre."

Gumball and Brian stopped what they were doing, clearly stunned by Darwin's answer. Noticing his friends' sudden change in demeanor, Darwin raised his eyebrow with curiosity, before focusing his attention to Gumball.

"Hey Gumball, I thought you would be happy. Is there something you're not telling me?"

But before he could say anything, Brian suddenly spoke after several seconds of silence.

"Gumball's not upset or anything…" Brian started to explain. "It's just that he-"

"Happens to be so excited, I was simply too speechless to say anything else." Gumball replied, cutting the purple fox's explanation.

Puzzled, Darwin looked at the blue feline with suspicion. After a few seconds, the two-legged fish smiled, having bought Gumball's answer.

"I'll take that as a yes then. I can hardly wait for this. Isn't this exciting, Gumball?"

"Yeah, Darwin, I can hardly contain the excitement." Gumball responded nervously, his head sweating profusely.

With that, Darwin cheerfully followed Penny's lead and headed to the cafeteria, disappearing from his friends' sights. Shortly afterwards, Gumball grabbed the collar on Brian's hoodie, pressing his face to the surprised fox's.

"Brian! What should I do?! I'm in so much trouble!"

"First of all Gumball, let go of me." Gumball did what he was told, letting go of Brian's hoodie, who proceeded to regain his composure before confronting the terrified feline.

"Second, just tell Darwin that you already have plans with Penny this afternoon. I'm sure he'll understand."

"I can't do that, Brian…" Gumball began explaining. "If I do, it'll break his heart and I could kiss my friendship goodbye forever. Oh man, what did I have gotten myself into?"

Wanting to calm his terrified friend down, Brian, after a moment of pondering, decided to change the subject, hoping it would be enough to snap Gumball out of his state.

"I'm sure you'll think of way to fix this mess. Besides, it's not like you could be in two places at once."

Suddenly, Gumball's expression had changed, as all the fear and worries were replaced by a wide grin. Brian, noticing this, gave himself a mental facepalm; there was no doubt that Gumball has another hare-brained scheme in his head.

"_I just have to open my big mouth!"_

"Brian, that's it! I could be two places at once and I think I know how this will work out." Gumball then laid his eyes on Brian; it was then that the purple fox realized what his friend exactly had in mind.

"Wait a minute there, Gumball." Brian spoke defensively. "There's no way I'm getting involved in another mishap after what happened on the weekends. Plus, this idea is crazy. You're crazy."

"But Brian, I really need you on this. Besides, it'll only be just one day."

"Gumball…" Brian talked with a stern expression. "What you're suggesting is both outrageous and risky. There's no way I'm going out to the movies as you. What if Darwin finds out?"

"Let's worry about that later, Brian. But seriously, this plan is foolproof and nothing could go wrong."

"I don't know, Gumball." Brian spoke with uncertainty, taking his eyes off his friend momentarily. "I still think you should have told Darwin the truth instead of creating this crazy scheme. You're going to have to give me one good reason why I should go through with this."

As soon as Brian focuses his attention on the feline again, he is aghast by what his friend is doing right now. Gumball's eyes had suddenly widened, as his pupils had gotten bigger and shining brightly and gave himself an innocent expression. Brian soon realized what his friend is trying to do.

"Oh no, not the puppy dog eyes; It's so cute and yet so creepy at the same time." Brian spoke with disgust, closing his eyes in an effort to resist Gumball's tactic, before one of his eyes slightly opened by accident, getting a glimpse of the feline's eyes, which had gotten even bigger and brighter. In turned, Brian could only cringe at this display.

"_Augh, that's just playing dirty right there."_

Finding the ordeal unbearable, Brian sighed of defeat. He couldn't believe he's actually going through with this.

"Alright Gumball, I'll help you out on this. Just stop doing that already. It's seriously creeping me out."

Gumball rejoiced over his victory, while Brian just looked on with uncertainty. He just prayed that he doesn't regret getting himself involved in yet another bizarre situation.

* * *

Shortly after agreeing to help Gumball out, Brian found himself dragged by the wrist and before long, he and the feline found themselves in the backstage of the auditorium. Thankfully for the fox, the large room was devoid of any people, but he was still a bit perplexed by this. Just what does his friend have in mind?

"Care to explain to me why we're here, Gumball?" Brian asked, puzzled by Gumball's action.

"It's quite simple, Brian." Gumball began explaining. "If we're going to pull this off, you must look, act and behave just like me in the next few hours. That way, Darwin will think that you're me and I'll be helping Penny out on her project. Either way, it's a win-win situation."

"I don't know about this, Gumball." says Brian. "I still think you should tell the Darwin the truth."

"Don't worry about that, Brian. It's going work out just fine." assured Gumball, before inspecting the fox from head-to-toe, noting every detail he could find. After what seemed like a long time, the feline's face brightened; Brian couldn't be certain if that was a good sign or not.

"Hang on a minute, I'll be right back." Gumball then dashed right off stage, leaving a trail of dust behind, causing Brian to cough in the process. A few seconds, Gumball suddenly dashed right through the entrance, carrying a bag of sky blue spray cans, rubber bands and a hair gel. Brian blinked a couple of times, clearly surprised to see his friend disappear and reappear in a matter of seconds.

"Where did you get all of those materials from?" Brian finally asked.

* * *

It was just another slow day at the local drugstore, as Pantsbully prepared to fill up the shelves which, for some strange reason, are randomized with sky blue spray cans, rubber bands and hair gels.

As he was about to get the first load, he suddenly felt a slight breeze coming near his way and before he knows it, the entire section was left by a trail of dust. As the dust settled down, Pantsbully turned around, only to notice the shelves were almost empty.

"Hey! Where are all the merchandises?!"

* * *

"That's not important right now." Gumball replied. "Right now, I need you to stay still."

"Stay still? For wha-"

Suddenly, Brian found himself covered in a cloud of sky blue spray paints, as Gumball began to spray him all over his body from head-to-toe. Once the cloud settled down, Gumball grabbed a few rubber bands and quickly strapped them onto Brian's tail, causing the fox to yelp out in pain. After covering them with another layer of sky blue spray paints, Gumball used the hair gel to smooth out Brian's head until the three strands of hair were out of sight. Upon further inspections, Gumball pulled out a black marker from his pocket and drew six marks on Brian's face and smiled with satisfaction; this might actually worked out after all.

"So Brian, what do you think?" Gumball asked, as he pulls out a mirror from one of the prop stands. Upon seeing his reflection, Brian could hardly believe what his friend just did. Standing right in front of him was an exact copy of Gumball, from the fur right down to the 'whiskers' on his face.

"Wow, Gumball, I'll have to admit, you really did a good job." Brian responded, still looking at himself with astonishment, before focusing his attention to the feline. "So what's next?"

"I'm glad that you asked." Gumball replied and smiled, leaving Brian a bit uncomfortable by this.

* * *

The schoolyard was less active than it was during Brian's visit; either they were studying at the library or weren't simply in the mood for today. Either way, the purple fox was just glad that the few that are at the schoolyard weren't paying any attention to him or Gumball. Speaking of which…

"Could you explain me to why we're out here?" Brian asked.

"It's quite obvious, Brian." Gumball began to explain. "All you have to do is just follow my demonstration and do exactly as I do. It's really quite simple, really."

"Are you sure about this, Gumball? I don't think I could-"

Before he could say another word, Brian found himself silenced as Gumball clamped his paw over his mouth.

"Just watch and do what I do." With that, Gumball let's go of Brian's mouth and headed towards to Carmen, reading a geometry book in peace and unaware of the feline's presence.

"So Carmen, how's the weather up there? Gumball greeted the cactus.

Startled, Carmen turned to see Gumball right next to her, but ignored his presence and resumed reading her book in silence. Undaunted, the feline took a quick peek from her book, prompting the cactus to distance herself from him by a few inches; in response, Gumball got closer to Carmen, still taking another look at her book. By now, Carmen's patience almost reached its limits.

"So, studying for your finals or something?" asked Gumball.

In response, Carmen promptly closed her book onto Gumball's nose, causing him to shriek in pain, before she angrily walked away from him, disappearing from his sights. As Gumball rubbed his nose f, he noticed Brian looking at him, somewhat amused by his friend's action.

"See Brian, it's quite simple." says Gumball. "Now you try and see for yourself."

Brian rolled his eyes in response before turning to the opposite direction, walking right towards to Tobias and Banana Joe, playing a game of basketball.

"Hey guys." Brian greeted the two, prompting both Tobias and Banana Joe to stop playing, looking at the disguised fox with a confused look.

"Um, Gumball, are you feeling alright?" asked Banana Joe.

"What do you mean by that? I feel fine." Brian nervously replied.

"For starters, your voice sounds quite different. Did you have your tonsils removed?" Banana Joe noted "Gumball's" voice.

"Would I say it was puberty?" was all Brian could say, smiling rather sheepishly.

"That's still doesn't explain why you're dressed up like that new kid." Tobias pointed out, prompting Brian to glare at the jock. Fortunately, it appeared he didn't notice this at all.

"Oh come on, you guys, there's nothing wrong with trying something new for a change." Brian exclaimed, throwing his arms up in frustration.

"You've got a good point right there." Tobias responded. "But its still weird seeing you act so…differently."

For a long while, there was nothing but awkward silence between the three, neither of them making a single move. Finally, in an effort to end it, Brian decided there was only way to finish this conversation.

"Well, see you later you guys." With that, Brian left the scene. As soon as he got back to Gumball, he noticed the feline was a bit angry, glaring directly at him, much to the fox's confusion.

"What?"

Suddenly, Gumball pulled out a blow horn and pressed it right into Brian's ear, leaving a ringing sensation in the process. Once the shocked expression wore off, the fox angrily glared right back at the feline.

"What was that about?! I did what you said!"

"Yeah and you didn't do a good job!" Gumball explained. "Seriously, that was the worst performance I have ever seen!"

"And I suppose what you did with the bookworm was a lot better than what I did back there?" Brian asked, still feeling the ringing in his ears.

"T-that was different." Gumball reacted defensively. "Anyway, I think I should teach you something else if you want to convince Darwin that you're me."

"Such as…?" Brian asked, prompting Gumball to ponder for a moment. Then, it hit him.

"Watch and learn."

Right before Brian's eyes, Gumball began to walk in a rather odd way back and forth, dragging his feet a bit and flailing his arms a little bit. The unusual scene left Brian both speechless and astonished.

"What are you doing, Gumball?" Brian finally asked.

"It's called a 'cool' walk, Brian. Just my way of saying how to exactly walk the way I do." Gumball then stopped in his tracks and looked at the fox, expecting him to mimic the same movement.

"Are you serious?" Brian asked with uncertainty.

"C'mon, man, at least try to get it right." pleaded Gumball.

Despite his reservation, Brian sighed and attempts to mimic the 'cool' walk, albeit in an awkward pace, only to trip halfway into his walk face first on the pavement. Gumball slapped himself on the forehead, a bit disappointed by this.

"Don't worry about it, Brian. I'm sure you'll get the basics right away."

* * *

**Several minutes later…**

The last several minutes were not going so well for Brian and the fox doesn't know how long he could bear Gumball's ridiculous 'methods', including, but not limiting to: how not to catch an object, how to talk dumb and even how to think dumb. In addition, the feline began questioning him on Darwin, from his favorite hobby to events that have occurred prior to his arrival. There was no way he could commit every bit of information he gave him to memorize in a matter of seconds!

Making things much complicated was Gumball punishing him with a blow horn for every 'mistake' he made for not properly mimicking his every move. For crying out loud, how was he supposed to know that Darwin can't use the bathroom without someone whistling for him?

While Brian remained still, his fur frizzled out and his right eye twitching from Gumball's so-called "coaching", the blue feline ponders his next move, oblivious to his friend's state of distress.

"Alright, so the last few methods didn't exactly turn out quite right as I had hope. I know, what if I show you how to-"

"Gumball, just stop this already! This isn't getting us anywhere!" Brian shouted, his patience reaching its limits, prompting the feline to stare at him in response, confused by the fox's action.

"Don't you see, Gumball, your methods aren't helping me out here at all." Brian explained. "I've tried to imitate you as possibly as I can, but I just received a blow horn in return for making mistakes that I wasn't even aware of."

"But-"

"Plus, there's no way I'm able to get that much information about Darwin in less than 3 hours."

"Brian, if you could just-"

"And you would have never thought of this idea to begin with if it wasn't for my suggestion. In fact, you can't think at all."

In the middle of his tirade, Brian paused, realized what he had just said right now.

"_Wait a minute! Could it be that all this time…of course, the answer was right in front of me?" _The anger suddenly faded away from Brian, slowly realizing the obvious solution was right there from the beginning.

"I'm starting to see why I wasn't able to imitate you as possibly as I could, Gumball. All this time, I've been thinking and using logical reasons instead of doing the opposite." Brian exclaimed, while Gumball nodded his head to confirm this, before the fox resume talking.

"By thinking and using logical reasons, I was convincing myself that anything out of the ordinary is simply impossible. But since you don't think at all Gumball, you challenge such logical reasons and draw your own conclusion instead. I still have reservation about the success of your idea, but with this newfound information, it might just work after all."

"Brian, I think we're finally making progress." Gumball replied.

With that, Brian resumed his training with the remaining minutes they have, using the new information he had just discovered, until Gumball's idea was set into motion.

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 7-The Disguise: Part 2_

_Gumball's plan is set in motion as Brian takes his place for Darwin. But can he manage to maintain the role when Darwin becomes increasingly suspicious of "Gumball's" unusual behavior?_

**Tidbits**

**-Once again, I apologize that this chapter took much longer than I originally had planned. I have to both edit and revised this chapter a few times before I finally got the direction I want, even if it isn't what I had planned out. Again, I want to thank EvelioandZgroup for helping me out here.**

**-Originally, Brian's "training" was going to be a bit longer, but I felt it would have been time consuming, so reluctantly, I have to make his training a bit short.**

**Again, I apologized for the long wait and hopefully, the next chapter won't take too long to finish.**

**Hope you enjoyed reading and see ya next chapter!**

**P.S.-Happy 20th anniversary, Cartoon Network!**


	7. The Disguise: Part 2

**I know I mention this in the first two chapters, so I'll bring it up once again: if anyone has an honest opinion, constructive criticism or suggestions for the story, don't be shy or hesitant. Just leave them on your reviews or PM me. I'm more than willing to listen what you guys have to say.**

**Also, I want to thank EvelioandZgroup again for helping me out.**

**Anyway, enjoy reading. :)**

**Update: Have to make a sudden change for the next chapter, including the summary. Anyway, I apologize for this interruption.  
**

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 7-The Disguise: Part 2

**Three hours later…**

At the Watterson residence, Gumball rapidly paced back and forth in front of his bedroom, waiting for Brian to come out, so that this plan could work perfectly.

Earlier in the afternoon, Gumball was clever enough to convince the school nurse that Brian wasn't feeling so good, giving the fox enough time to continue practicing at his place. Even more amazing is that Miss Simian was in such a good mood, that she dismissed the class 10 minutes ahead of schedule, giving Gumball enough time to make it back home before Darwin did. Still, it was taking much longer than expected and the last thing Gumball wanted to happen is Darwin showing up unexpectedly and discovering their plan.

"_What's taking him so long?! Darwin's going to show up any time now and I have to get Penny's place ASAP."_

As Gumball impatiently continues to pace around the hallway, the door to his bedroom suddenly opened, prompting the feline to stop pacing and focus his attention on Brian. There he was, wearing the outfit he needs to finish his disguise: a tan sweater with brown cuffs and collar and a pair of grey trousers. Amazingly, his clothes managed to fit rather well on the disguised fox.

Gumball couldn't believe his own eyes: if he hadn't known that it was Brian standing right in front of him, he would have easily mistaken him as a clone.

"I have to admit, Brian, you look pretty good with that outfit." says Gumball.

"Easy for you to say; your sweater feels a bit tight." Brian replied. "Also, why does it smell like it came from the sewer?"

"Believe me, Brian, its best you don't know." Gumball shivers in disgust, recalling the time his dad informed him the origin of his favorite sweater.

"I'm going to take your word for it, Gumball." Thankfully, Brian, though a bit suspicious, didn't question him any further on the subject.

"Anyway, do you have the routines nailed down while I was away?" asked Gumball, wanting to focus the task at hand.

"Hmm…let me see…" Brian began to explain. "I managed to get a good idea of your personality, memorize mostly everything about Darwin, including his hobbies and habits and I mimicked your act long enough for you to show up. So yeah, I pretty much know what to do now."

"It looks like everything is going to turn out just fine after all." Gumball then sighed with relief; it looks like they might have a chance to pull this off.

"Before you head to Penny's place, is there else I should know in case Darwin becomes suspicious?" Brian asked.

"Just one: keep up the act and everything will work out just fine." Gumball responded.

With that, the feline dashed right out of the fox's sight, heading straight downstairs. Brian then heard the door in the kitchen open and then closed shut, prompting him to view the backyard right away. It appears that Gumball was sneaking away from the house as much as possible, most certainly heading towards his destination, as well as avoiding making contact with Darwin.

Brian couldn't believe how his day would turn out: here he is, all alone in the Watterson residence, dressed up as Gumball and having his bizarre but effective methods in mind. Even so, part of him expressed reservation of how successful the feline's idea would turn out.

"Even though I still don't like where this going, you can do this." Brian talked to himself. "All I have to do is just pretend to be Gumball for the rest of the afternoon at the movies with Darwin. I mean, it's just going to be me and him there watching Nocturnal Rises all day. After all, no one else is around here to know that I, Brian O'Quinn-"

"Just happens to expose himself right on the spot." a tiny voice spoke out of nowhere.

Brian paused, his face filled with both surprised and dismay, as he recognized an all too familiar voice. It didn't took him too long to realized that right behind was Anais, smirking with amusement. Somehow, she must have made her way back home much sooner and heard him in the middle of his speech. Brian didn't know what to do, except for one thing…

"How long have you been here?"

"Long enough to know that my brother came up with another scheme, and somehow he managed to get you involved."

Brian sighed. He might as well explain everything to the child prodigy.

"You see, Anais, it began this morning…"

* * *

**Fifty seconds later…**

"…And that's how I ended up helping Gumball out in yet another crazy situation." As Brian finished his explanation, Anais simply nodded her head; why Gumball came up with such an outrageous idea is a mystery.

"I hope you understand what I have to do, despite my reservation of your brother's idea. But please, don't tell Darwin about this. The last thing I want to do is to upset Gumball." Brian pleaded to the child prodigy, hoping she could at least keep this a secret.

Anais pondered for a moment, while Brian waited for an answer from her, uncertain what decision she'll make.

"_Oh Man! This isn't good at all. At this point, this plan is a total bust!"_

"Alright Brian, I won't tell anyone about this." Anais replied, much to the fox's relief. "In fact, I think I know how you can pull this off."

Brian stared at the four year old, a bit surprised to hear this. Intrigued, the fox raised his eyebrow with curiosity, wanting to hear what the child prodigy has to say.

"I'm listening…"

* * *

School was finished for today, but for Darwin, the afternoon had only just begun. All day long, he has been waiting to see Nocturnal Rises, just him and Gumball at the theatres all day and nothing more.

Still, today did seem a bit off. For starters, he learned that Brian suddenly got ill and had to go home for the rest of the day; as if that wasn't strange enough, Gumball suddenly dashed out of Miss Simian's class like he was in a hurry. Even so, his friend did promise he'll be there at the movies today.

"As long as my pal shows up in time, it's all good." says Darwin.

As the two-legged fish was about to press the doorbell, the front door suddenly open and much to Darwin's surprise, it was Gumball, standing right in front of him. Although curious by his sudden presence, Darwin couldn't care less about that for the moment. All that matters is that Gumball is here and just in time too.

"Hey Gumball, are you ready to see Nocturnal Rises?" Darwin asked with delight, barely containing the excitement within him.

"You bet buddy of mine, I'm sure it's the greatest movie either of us will see in our lives." 'Gumball' replied back.

The moment his friend greeted him back, Darwin paused, giving 'Gumball' a confusing look.

"Um, Gumball, what's wrong with your voice?"

'Gumball', or rather Brian, gave himself a mental facepalm. He has to think of something and fast.

"Um…it's puberty?" Brian responded, smiling sheepishly.

For a while, Darwin looked at 'Gumball' with curiosity, uncertain what to make of this. After a few seconds, the fish smiled, having accepted his friend's response.

"Make sense to me. Anyway, we need to head to the movies right now."

"Um, sure thing, buddy of mine; I'll catch up as soon as I could."

Nodding his head in agreement, Darwin headed in the opposite direction. Once he was certain the two-legged fish had left, Brian then checks the receiver attached to his ear, before speaking to it.

"Anais, care to explain to me again why I need this with me?" Brian whispered. After a few seconds of static, the fox got a response from the child prodigy.

"Even though you had memorized almost everything from Gumball's so-called methods, there's a chance that you might hesitate at anytime and Darwin could become suspicious. I'm just simply going to give you a helping hand just in case."

"I guess that make sense." Brian whispered back. "But how are you going to get in without being seen?"

"Don't worry about that, Brian." Anais responded. "I always planned ahead. Just get to the movies and play along with him."

Following this, Brian heard a few rustle from the bushes and saw Anais quickly heading towards the movie theater, prompting the disguised fox to do the same. All Brian could do was pray that everything turned out alright in the end.

* * *

Brian managed to catch up to Darwin as fast he could, all the while trying to catch his breath. He had to admit: the fish was quite faster than he imagined. Once he regained his footing, the two made their way to the theatre and handed out their tickets to the voucher (who appears as a humanoid with a rock-shape head) before proceeding inside.

As they we're heading to the entrance, Brian noticed the voucher eyeing on them with suspicion.

"Um, Darwin…" Brian began to explain. "Are you aware that voucher at the entrance is spying on us?"

"What are you talking about, Gumball?" Darwin asked, surprised to hear this. "Larry always acts like that whenever we show up in his presence. It's been that way since we first met him."

Before 'Gumball' could respond, he could hear a few static noises coming from his receiver. After a long while, he could hear Anais' voice loud and clear.

"I know what you're about to say, but that's not important right now. Just do as I say."

After hearing what Anais wanted him to say, Brian focused his attention on Darwin, still confused by his earlier action.

"It's nothing, buddy, it's just that you think Larry would just loosen up a bit by now. Seriously, he really needs to relax."

"Agreed Gumball, but right now, I'm going to get us some seats before the movie starts." Darwin replied.

"If you say so buddy; in the meantime, I need to take a bathroom break."

Nodding his head, Darwin headed into the auditorium. The disguised fox then proceeded to press the receiver in his ear, hoping he could quickly contact Anais.

"Thanks for helping me out there. Perhaps this wasn't such a bad idea after all. But just one question: where are you?"

"Just turn to your right and look straight." Anais replied.

Following this odd but simple instruction, Brian did as he was told and in his direction, spotted a trash can in the corner. After a few seconds, the child prodigy suddenly popped out of it, waving her hand, before following Darwin into the auditorium. Brian blinked a couple of times, dumbfounded by what he just witnessed.

"_Alright then, I'm not going to even ask how she does that."_

* * *

Darwin waited patiently for 'Gumball' to show up before the movie began. He was lucky that he was able to find some seats for both he and his friend before the auditorium was filled up. Speaking of which, his friend hadn't shown up yet.

"_I wonder what's taking him so long. The movie is about to start anytime"_

As Darwin started to ponder, becoming a bit worried, he spotted 'Gumball' heading towards his way, much to the fish's relief. As his friend sat right next to him, though, Darwin noticed something unusual about his appearance; his confused look caught the attention of 'Gumball', puzzled by such a reaction

"What's wrong, Darwin? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I don't know how to say this, but how come there's three strands of hair sticking out and the tip of your tail is white? Also, when did your tail suddenly became fluffy and what happened to your whiskers?"

Brian paused, stunned to hear Darwin's question. Slowly, he put his paw his face, then on top of his head and felt three strands of hair, before grabbing his tail and checked it with his own eyes.

Brian couldn't believe this hass happened: somehow, the rubber bands must have come off and Gumball must have forgotten to cover the tip of his tail. It also didn't help that the hair gel must have worn off, causing his three strands of hair and the black markers must have faded away. Panic soon sets in on the fox's mind.

"_Oh man! This isn't good at all. I got to think something good…and fast."_

Brian then took a quick look at Darwin, still looking at him with curiosity and confusion. After a long while, the fox finally came up with a good excuse for the two-legged fish.

"Well, you see, it's a new look I'm trying out. Is there something wrong with that?" Brian then smiled nervously, uncertain how Darwin would respond.

"Um, I guess that makes sense."

Darwin's answer came as a relief for Brian. What happened next, however, took the disguised fox by surprised.

"But still, you've been acting strange since this afternoon. First, your voice sounded very odd. Then, when you asked about Larry, it's as if you just met him for the first time. Finally, your tail just puffed out with a white tip at the end and three strands of hair suddenly appeared out of nowhere. What's going on Gumball? That is, if you really are him."

Several sweat drops formed on Brian's head, clearly in a state of panic. Darwin might not be a genius, but he was smart enough to suspect something's amiss and that wasn't a good sign at all. Where was Anais when he needed her the most?

"Looks like you could use some help right there. Just get him to question you and I'll provide some of the answers to you."

Brian could hear Anais' voice loud and clear, prompting him to look behind his back and saw the child prodigy a few seats behind him, giving the disguised fox a thumbs up in response. Relieved and a bit confident, Brian turned his attention back to Darwin, who has become even more suspicious.

"If you're certain that I may or may not be Gumball, why don't you ask a few questions only I would know?"

"You know, that might help out ." replied Darwin, having accepted the fox's challenge and soon, began to ask him the first question.

"What's the name of the DVD that was once overdue to Laser Video?"

"Alligators on a Train."

"That's correct. Now, what game did we make up just for fun?"

"Dodge or Dare."

"That's true. What is your greatest fear?"

"Spiders."

"What TV channel do you despised watching?"

"The Shopping Channel."

"What is your middle name?"

"Um…Tristopher?"

"Here's the final question: what was the name of the place that we first met?"

Brian paused, taken by complete surprised by the fish's question, as his head sweating profusely and his confidence disappeared. Of all the things Gumball had prepared him for, the fox never anticipated Darwin to ask such a question. He just hoped that Anais could provide the right answer soon.

"_Darn it, Anais! What's taking you so long?"_

As Brian's mind was beginning to fill with panic and anxiety, he finally heard the child prodigy from the speaker in his ear. It looks like he was going to be safe after all.

"Sorry it took so long, but I think I have the answer to that final question. I think its-"

Suddenly, Brian could hear static and after a few seconds, nothing. Startled, he turns to see Anais behind him, only to find an empty seat instead. That was the last thing that Brian wanted to see.

"_Where the heck did she go?! I really need that answer!"_

* * *

Anais couldn't believe this had to happen. Just as she was about to give Brian the answer, Larry suddenly showed up and dragged her out of the auditorium, preventing her from giving the disguised fox the solution. As the two were making their way to the entrance, Anais struggled, trying to get her hand out of Larry's.

"Larry! It's not what it looks like!" the child prodigy began to explain.

"Oh, I think know what you were up to. You think you can just sneak in here and watch a movie for free without paying? I think not."

Anais was about to open her mouth, but stopped once she saw Larry giving her a stern expression. Sighing and realizing that anything she says would make the situation worse, she allows Larry to lead her to the entrance. It looked like Brian was on his own to get himself out of this situation.

* * *

"Well? Do you know the answer or not?" Darwin asked, as he was becoming increasingly impatient.

Brian didn't know what to do at this point. The only one that was helping him was out was nowhere to be found and he has to think of some sort of answer to appease Darwin. Sighing, there was only one way he could answer his question.

"I…forgot?" was all Brian could say.

In response, Darwin became more suspicious than ever, glaring at the uneasy fox. How could 'Gumball' forget their first meeting? Either he's telling the truth or he was talking to an impostor. Either way, he certainly wanted to find out the truth and he just happened to find a good place.

"I think we should continue this in the alley."

"But the movie-"

"Can wait for now. Besides, I still need to know if you really are my friend or not."

Unable to convince the two-legged fish otherwise, Brian sighed and complied, as he and Darwin sneaks out of the auditorium and right into their destination. Could this situation get any worse than it already is?

* * *

"Alright Darwin, can you explain to me why we're out here in the alley?" Brian asked the two-legged fish, wanting to know what plan he has in mind.

"Isn't it obvious? I want to put you through another series of test." Darwin started to explain. "I figured the questions didn't do much, so I'm going to put you through another test, just to make certain you're really Gumball."

"Exactly how are you going to test me this time?" Brian asked, raising an eyebrow with curiosity.

Without warning, a trash can lid appeared out of nowhere, hitting Brian on the head. While Brian rubbed his head from the unexpected attack, Darwin stared at the disguised fox, rubbing his chin with uncertainty.

"Hmmm…looks like you pass one of the tests." Darwin spoke.

"Jeez Darwin, couldn't you give me a heads up before you did that?" Brian asked, still rubbing his sore head.

"You mean like this?"

Suddenly, Darwin swung his flipper at Brian, prompting the fox to block it in the nick of time with his arm. Undaunted, the two-legged fish made three more attempts and somehow, Brian managed to block each of them without them being able to reach his face. Even so, the situation was going completely out of hand.

"Darwin, this is becoming ridiculous! How long are you going to do this?" Brian shouted in dismay.

"Not until I know for certain you're really Gumball." Darwin responded, prompting Brian to gulp. He doesn't know how much he can put up with this.

* * *

**Five minutes later…**

For the last five minutes, Brian endured one test after another, each more outlandish than the last. From getting blindfolded and narrowly avoiding traffic to exhaling his breath for a long time and getting covered with hot-burning paint, the disguised fox was becoming increasingly distressed: his fur was frizzed out, his right eye began to twitch and he looked like a complete slob.

At this point, Brian wasn't certain he could take any more of this; Darwin was completely out of his mind. Noticing the two-legged fish pondering his next move, the disguised fox made his way to his presence; there was only way he could end this nonsense once and for all.

"Darwin, I'm begging you, please stop this at once! I get it that you have every right to be suspicious, but come on, this is going way too far!" Brian pleaded, not caring how pathetic he sounded at this point.

Though stunned to hear the disguised fox's pleas, Darwin ponders a bit more and for a while, Brian became extremely nervous. After what seems like a long time, Darwin smiled and nodded his head in agreement.

"Alright then, if you say so, Gumball." Darwin replied. "That last test was all the proof I needed anyway. Sorry if I got carried away, but I just needed to be certain it's really you."

Brian sighed with relief upon hearing this news. Perhaps he was able to make it through the day after all.

"All is forgiven, Darwin. Right now, let's just get back inside and enjoy ourselves." says Brian.

Once the disguised fox regained his composure, he and Darwin made their out of the alley, only for the fox to hear a familiar voice coming from around the corner.

"Are you sure you needed this many books for your research, Penny?" asked Gumball.

"Like I said, its ten pages long and I needed to make sure I have the right information. But I appreciate you helping me out, Gumball." Penny replied

Brian stopped dead in his track, his face filled with fear and anxiety. Of all the places, the real Gumball just happened to come here at the absolute worst time, and with Penny as well. Noticing the disguised fox's action, Darwin turns to his direction and couldn't believe his own eyes: there was another Gumball heading right into their path, carrying a few books that are blocking his view of them, alongside Penny. Wait a minute…how can there be two Gumballs? What the heck was going on here?

"Gumball, is that really you over there?" Darwin asked.

Darwin's question startled the feline, causing him to drop the books he was carrying, before he saw both his friend and Brian right in front of his face; that was the last thing he wanted to see. As Gumball looked on nervously, Penny, puzzled by his behavior, looked at his direction and spotted Darwin looking right back at them, along with…another Gumball?

"Sorry for stating the obvious Gumball…" Penny started to talk. "But could you tell me why there's someone that looks just like you standing across from us?"

For a while, Gumball and Brian looked at one another, then to Darwin and Penny and back to each other. Knowing this plan was a total failure, there was only one thing Brian can do at this point.

"Well…um…I think I heard my mom calling me."

With that, the fox dashed out of his friends' sights, leaving Gumball on his own, facing the glares from both Darwin and Penny; it's clear that they're demanding an explanation from him.

"Um…you see, I could explain…" As Gumball attempted to think of a good excuse, he noticed Anais right besides him.

"What?" Gumball asked, not caring the slightest as to why the child prodigy was even here to being with.

"You're so busted." Anais replied, earning her a glare from her brother.

"You're not helping me here."

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 8-The Project: Part 1_

_Brian becomes partner with Masami for a project and the fox soon discovers how much of a pain she can be._

**Tidbits**

**-I'll admit that this chapter didn't turn out the way I had hope, but I did the best I could with it. Again, I want to thank EvelioandZgroup for helping me out.**

**-I apologized for Gumball having a minor role for this chapter, but I wasn't able to find a way to extend his role.**

**-Originally, Darwin's tests was going to be a bit longer, but I ended up cutting it short, once I realized just how time consuming it can be.**

**Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter and remember, if you have any suggestions, honest opinions or constructive criticism, leave your thoughts in your reviews or PM me. I'm more than willing to hear what you have to say.**

**See ya next chapter!**


	8. The Project: Part 1

**I just wanted to apologize for those who have been waiting patiently, but this chapter took much longer than I have originally planned. Also, I want to thank EvelioandZgroup for helping me out again.**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 8-The Project: Part 1

It was another day at Miss Simian's class as Brian, along with the rest of his fellow classmates, were forced to listen to the latest lecture from the cantankerous, old baboon, whether they want to or not.

"Alright class, listen up, today you and a partner would be working on a science project due on Monday. To make this interesting, I already decided who's going to be partnered up with, just because I felt like it." Miss Simian then cackled with glee while her students moaned in dismay by this.

"Now then, I'll read out loud who's being partnered up whom." Miss Simian says, before she pulled a sheet of paper and proceeded to make the announcements.

"Tobias and Tina…Anton and Jamie…Rob and Leslie…Sussie and Penny…"

While Miss Simian read the names out loud, Brian noticed the students' reaction from the list, ranging from dismay to indifferences. As far as the purple fox was concerned, he was bored, but quite nervous as to whom his partner was going to be.

"_Whoever he or she is, I just hope we could at least get along-"_ Brian's thoughts were interrupted when his teacher finally got to his name.

"…Brian and Masami…"

The moment she read out his name, Brian paused what he was doing, before focusing his attention on the floating cloud, who looked rather annoyed, before turning away from him. Shrugging off the cloud's demeanor, Brian then noticed Gumball and Darwin looking at him with concern.

"Wow Brian, sucks to have someone like Masami to be your partner." Gumball spoke first.

"What do you mean?" a confused Brian asked.

"You don't know, Brian?" Darwin began to talk. "Masami's father owns the Rainbow Factory that Mrs. Mom works at. Because of that, she pretty much gets what she wants."

"So I'm dealing with someone who's rich and a bit uptight." Brian replied. "What's the big deal?"

"The big deal is that Masami wants to have things done her way." Gumball explained. "If I were you, I would keep your guard up and be cautious at the same time."

Brian ponders for a moment, before looking at Masami, then back to his friends. He decided there was one thing to do.

"Alright Gumball, I'll take your advice for the moment. Besides, what could possibly go wrong?"

Gumball and Darwin looked at another, still worried for their friend and the dilemma he might face. Brian has no idea what he was getting himself into.

* * *

The school bell rang for the last time, signaling the end of school for today, as every student from their classes, including Miss Simian's, proceeded to head home until next week. While everyone was making plans for the weekend, Brian waited outside of Miss Simian's classroom, waiting for Masami to come out, all the while thinking of what his friends had told him earlier.

"_Despite what Gumball and Darwin says, I'm sure she's not that bad as they made her out to be."_

"Jeez, what are you doing, furball? Waiting for time to stop?" a rather rude voice spoke out, prompting Brian to turn to the direction of said voice. He noticed Masami floating right besides him, though hardly happy to see him. Shrugging off her demeanor, Brian attempted to make a proper introduction to her.

"First of all, it's not furball, it's Brian. Second, it would be better if you-"

"Yeah, yeah whatever you say." says Masami, cutting off the fox's words. "Listen, I'm just here to get an easy A and nothing more. If you want to help, start by carrying these books back to my locker."

Without warning, dozens of books pile down on Brian's arm, leaving the unfortunate fox to carry the load all the way to Masami's locker, while the cloud just simply headed to her destination, waiting for Brian to come by, struggling to prevent the books from toppling down on him.

_"Geez Louise, why would she need this many books to begin with?"_

"What's taking so long, furball? I haven't gotten all day." Masami spoke out loud, becoming rather impatient.

Brian was halfway to Masami's locker when he suddenly slipped, causing the books to pile all over him. Not wanting to wait any longer, Masami floated towards Brian and picked up a few books with her to her locker.

"Do I have to do everything myself?" Masami complained, not expressing a bit of concern for the fox's wellbeing.

"You know, Masami, I could have gotten here much quicker if you just helped me out to begin with." an annoyed Brian responded, attempting to regain his composure.

"Whatever you say, furball." was Masami's answer to the fox.

Deciding it was best not to argue back, Brian felt it was better to focus on another subject that they need to pay attention on.

"Anyway Masami, we need to think of a science project to work on if we want to pass. Why not come to my house tomorrow to discuss and brainstorm any possible ideas, just in case?"

"If it'll make you happy, I don't see why not." Masami replied, much to Brian's surprise. "I just expect you to not to make another mess like you did with my books."

Brian could feel his anger rising up a bit from Masami's comment, but took a deep breath and calmed himself down. It was times like these that he was thankful for using one of his mom's methods.

"_Calm yourself down, Brian. This is just my first meeting with her. I'm sure things will work out tomorrow."_

Once the fox's anger ceased, he noticed Masami giving him a strange look. Brian figured it was best to brush off the cloud's earlier comment for the moment and resume talking to her.

"Alright then, I'll see you tomorrow afternoon. By the way, here's my address in case you're wondering." Once Brian wrote down the information, he handed the piece of paper to Masami.

"Don't worry furball, I'll show up." Masami replied.

With that, the cloud headed to the school entrance. The fox sighed; the weekends were about to becoming much longer.

* * *

Today was Saturday at the O'Quinn residence, a two-story house that was quite big for a normal suburban house, but too small to be a mansion. Normally, Brian would just read, watch TV and played video games all day, but the fox had other matters to attend this time.

The afternoon had arrived, as Brian patiently waits on the stairs for Masami to show up. All day long, the purple fox had been trying to come up with something to do for their science projects, but none of them seemed to be working out. Whether it was a potato gun or a model of the solar system, they turned out to be too clichéd for his taste. What he needed was something that was fresh and original.

"Brian, how's your science project coming so far?" Mrs. O'Quinn asked, calling out from the kitchen.

"I haven't even started yet." Brian responded. "I can't think of any that stands out. So far, most of my ideas are already oversaturated."

"Don't worry, honey, I'm sure you and your partner will think of something." Mrs. O'Quinn assured her son.

"Speaking of which, where is Masami?" Brian muttered, as he realized that Masami was stopping by. He was just glad that his dad, for once, was actually taking the entire weekend to work overseas, a rare time on his part. At the very least, he won't have any awkward conversations to worry about.

As Brian continues to wait, the door bell suddenly rang, prompting the fox to head towards the front door. As soon as he opens it, he saw Masami floating there, though she looked particularly bored some reason.

"Is this where you live furball? Seriously, I've seen better looking homes than this." Masami remarked.

"You know Masami, not everyone could afford the same luxury as you." Brian replied, a bit upset by the cloud's comment. "Anyway, where have you been? It's been thirty minutes."

"If you must know, I just want to come by your place in style." Masami answered. "That and I think I come up with a pretty good idea for our science project."

"You do?" Brian asked, a bit perplexed by the cloud's comment.

"Do I have to repeat myself? Of course I do furball. In fact, I already have the whole thing written down." Masami then presents Brian a sheet of paper with the information. After a long while, Brian couldn't believe his own eyes: they need this much for their science project?

"Are you sure we needed this much for just one project?" a disbelief Brian asked.

"Would you rather get an F?" Masami asked, slightly annoyed for being questioned.

Brian pondered for a moment. On one hand, Masami's idea seems a bit outrageous for a science project, even with including the necessary materials to complete it. On the other hand, the last thing he wanted was to get a failing grade in Miss Simian's class. Either way, Brian needed some time to think this through.

"Well furball? I'm waiting." Masami was becoming a bit impatient, waiting for the fox to give her an answer. After a long while, Brian sighed and finally gave the cloud his answer.

"When do you want to begin?"

* * *

After Brian finished explaining to his mother on the science project he and Masami were working on, Mrs. O'Quinn agreed to help her son and his acquaintance by taking them to the local drugstore to get the materials required for said project. As soon as they arrived to their destination, Mrs. O'Quinn turned her attention to Brian and Masami.

"Alright, you two, if either of you needed help, just call out for me. In the meantime, I'll be at the other side of the store." Mrs. O'Quinn instructed the two.

With that, she heads towards to the opposite direction, disappearing around the corner and leaving the duo alone.

"Well, lets get this over with." Brian then grabbed the nearest cart, before he and Masami headed towards the beauty product sections. While the two looked around, Brian, still a bit curious, decided to ask the cloud about her idea.

"Can you explain to me again why we need some beauty products for our science project?"

"You want another explanation again furball?! Seriously, is your memory that bad?!" Masami talked back.

"Just answer the question, Masami." an annoyed Brian responded.

"Alright, but listen carefully this time, furball." Masami spoke, before she began her explanation.

"I talked to daddy about Miss Simian's assignment and he suggested creating a model of how the weather works. Of course, I managed to have my input before everything was finalized. If it wasn't for me, we wouldn't have a science project to begin with."

"Somehow, I figured you wouldn't have thought of this without some help of your own." Brian muttered to himself.

"Did you say something?" Masami asked.

"It was nothing." Brian responded, before he spots a can of hair spray and proceeded to pick it up.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" an old, grizzled but feminine voice spoke out of nowhere.

Brian paused what he was doing and turned to the direction of the voice. Right in front of him was an elderly, pale-blue skinned lizard, with white hair and yellow eyes with black pupils, wearing a green dress and a matching beanie hat and carrying a black cane. It didn't take too long for the fox to realize that her hand was on the same product he had just gotten moments ago.

"Um…I'm about to buy this can of hair spray." Brian answered. What happened next took the purple fox by complete surprise.

"I don't think so, fox boy! I've been searching around town all day to find a good deal and there's no way I'm going to let this one go!"

Suddenly, the Lizard Woman proceeded to whack Brian on the head with her cane, all the while the fox was clinging to the can of hair spray as hard as he could. Ignoring the pain in his head, Brian turned to Masami, who seemed somewhat unimpressed.

"Masami..OUCH…I could use some…OUCH…help!"

Masami, after pondering for a moment, sighed and confronted the irate elderly lizard, who finally noticed the cloud's presence.

"What do you want?! Going to help your boyfriend?!" The Lizard Woman talked back.

"Boyfriend?! Listen granny, I'm only here because furball couldn't get rid of you. Anyway, there some face lotions that cost thirty percent right besides you."

The Lizard Woman arched her eyebrow with curiosity, before she saw the product right next to the aisle, including a label that, as it suggested, was thirty percent.

"Why didn't you say so in the first place?" The Lizard Woman happily exclaimed, before letting go of the can of hair spray from Brian's grasp. "In that case, you two suckers could have this hunk of junk."

With that, the Lizard Woman headed to the face lotion aisle. Brian, rubbing his head from the beating, noticed Masami didn't look too pleased, despite obtaining the can of hair spray.

"Geez furball, that was quite pathetic back there."

"Thanks for the help, your majesty." Brian sarcastically remarked.

"Whatever. Let's just get the rest of the material and get out of here." said Masami.

"If you say so; I just hope we don't encounter that crazy lady again." Brian muttered under his breath.

* * *

**30 minutes later…**

The O'Quinns, along with Masami, finally returned home after a long day at the drugstore. Although Mrs. O'Quinn was rather upbeat and Masami was a bit happy, it was anything but fun for Brian.

During his time at the drugstore, Brian's search for the right items resulted in more encounters with the Lizard Woman, who once again started whacking him on the head each time they met, prompting a reluctant Masami to intervene. To add insult to injury, Masami "forgot" her wallet when they weren't unable to pay the following items they gathered. Fortunately, Mrs. O'Quinn showed up on time and manage to pay the whole thing off, saving the two some trouble. Still, Brian was becoming increasingly annoyed by how today was turning out.

"Lighten up furball, just be glad we have what we need for our science project." Masami said.

"She's right, Brian. What's important is that you two have to get started on your work before Monday." says Mrs. O'Quinn, before she heads upstairs.

Although still annoyed from his experience, Brian accepted his mother's word. He and Masami did gather what they need: a few cans of hair spray, several bags of cotton balls and two dental flosses, among others. Brian then focused his attention to Masami.

"Alright Masami, we got what we needed for our project. So what's the next step?"

Masami pondered for a moment, while Brian patiently waits for an answer. Then, Masami turned her attention to Brian, as if she had something to say.

"Well furball, if you must know…"

* * *

Brian couldn't believe what he was doing in the kitchen: of all the things Masami had requested, she wanted him to construct a model with his own two paws. It didn't help that the cloud had no idea how it should look liked, forcing the purple fox to make a few guess. Each time he shows the model to her, however, she ended up rejecting them, citing minor flaws of details. He could still recall some of the earlier responses from Masami.

"Are you kidding me furball? My grandma could do a better job than that."

"Those cottons aren't even in the right position. It doesn't look like a cloud at all."

"Are you even paying attention furball?"

"You called that a model?"

Brian's patience was about to reach its limits at any moment. No matter how hard he tried, Masami remained unimpressed with his best effort. What is it going to take to please this uptight snob?

"Just be level headed and calm about this, Brian. I'm sure everything will work out in the end." Brian muttered, despite feeling his blood pressure rising up.

"Are you done yet furball? I haven't gotten all day." shouted Masami.

Brian cringed the moment the cloud spoke, but undaunted by this, calmed down long enough to put the final touch on the model.

Brian observed the model right in front of him: the can of hair spray proved effective to increase the fluffiness of the cotton, the dental flosses were strong enough to hold the makeshift clouds on the display and somehow, he managed to find a creative way to use the food coloring.

"It's not much, but it'll have to do. I just hope this is enough for Masami." Brian says to himself, before carrying the project right to the table, where the cloud is presiding.

"What took you so long furball? It's been like almost an hour." Masami complained.

"Maybe if I had some helped, it wouldn't have been as long as it should have." Brian replied, before he set the project right in front of Masami.

The cloud took a moment to observe the project, looking at it inch by inch, while a nervous Brian looked on, not knowing whether he actually got it right or not. After what seems like a long time, Masami stopped observing the project and turned to Brian.

"Alright, this looks quite good." Masami spoke.

The purple fox sigh, relieved that he finally managed to please the cloud. Perhaps his day is turning out great after all. But what came of Masami's mouth wasn't what he hade hoped.

"Now do the whole thing again."

Brian paused in his tracks, his right eye twitched in annoyances from the cloud's comment. He couldn't believe that all of his efforts were for nothing. That was it for Brian; he could no longer bottle up all the anger residing in him. There was no way he was going to let this one slide.

"What the flip is your problem, Masami?!" Brian shouted, shocking the cloud by the fox's action. It was the last thing she would have expected to hear from him.

"All day long, you have done nothing but insult me every chance you get, despite my attempt to be nice to you. As a matter of fact, you've been treating me like dirt since yesterday!"

"Look furball, why don't we just-" Masami's words were cut off as Brian began to speak up once again.

"I'm not letting this one slide, Masami. All you've done is nothing but complained, whined and calling me names and barely done any work at all. I can't believe I have to be partnered up with a spoiled, rotten brat!"

The moment the fox said those last three words left Masami shocked. Then, her expression became quite serious, before she slowly confronted the fox.

"What do you just call me just now?" Masami demanded.

"You heard what I just said! A spoiled, rotten brat! It seemed like a worthy title for someone like you!" Brian talked back.

"You better be careful what you're saying..." Masami began to speak.

"Or else what, Masami? Go to you dad and complained about the whole ordeal?"

"What are you two arguing about down there?!" Mrs. O'Quinn shouted, prompting both Brian and Masami to cease their arguments. As soon as his mother showed up in the kitchen, Brian, with great reluctance, spoke.

"Well mom, it began like this…"

* * *

**Five minutes later…**

"…And that's how it ended up like this." Once Brian was finished explaining everything about their short feud to his mother, Mrs. O'Quinn began to ponder about the whole ordeal. Surely, there must be a way for the two of them to work their problems out. Meanwhile, Masami focused her attention to Brian, still annoyed.

"Face the facts, there's no way either of us will get a passing grade by Monday." says Masami.

"I rather have a failing grade than deal with you." Brian responded.

"Kids, please by quiet for a moment and let me think." Mrs. O'Quinn spoke out, prompting the duo to be silent. After what seems like a long time, Mrs. O'Quinn turned to Brian and Masami; it appeared she had something in mind.

"You know, maybe there is a way for both of you to receive a passing grade on your assignment by Monday."

"There is?" Brian and Masami simultaneously asked.

"Of course there is. In fact, I think you two should try this science project I had in mind for tomorrow." Mrs. O'Quinn replied.

"What is it?" her son asked, prompting Mrs. O'Quinn to rub her head sheepishly, before she answered her son's question.

"It's very hard to explain, but I do think this could help both you and Masami figure each other out."

"Somehow, I highly doubt I could last another whole day with her." says Brian.

"For once furball, I couldn't agree more." Masami replied, before the two glared at one another.

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 9-The Project: Part 2_

_As tensions grow between Brian and Masami, can the two put their own differences aside to finish their assignment?_

**Tidbits**

**-Before anyone could say anything, I'll just get to the point: I'm not going to make Brian and Masami fall in loved with one another anytime soon. At some point, Brian will have a love interest in the future (and definitely will be an OC), but I haven't gotten that far yet in the story.**

**-This chapter was a bit complicated, especially on the project part. But in the end, this is what I could come up (with a bit of help from EvelioandZgroup).**

**-Decided to have Brian have a bit more interactions with some of the supporting cast besides Gumball and his family, mainly because I haven't focus that much attention with any of them other than Tina (and to a lesser extent, Jamie). Don't worry folks, the Watterson's will still play active role.**

**Hope you enjoyed reading and see ya next chapter!**


	9. The Project: Part 2

**First and foremost, I apologized for the long wait. I actually completed this chapter last week but the proofreading took much longer than I had anticipated. Again, I really owe everyone who was waiting for the next chapter an apology.**

**Second, for those who aren't aware, I have put up a poll in my profile regarding The Newcomer. Basically, there are 7 choices to choose from and whichever gets the highest vote by the end of the year, I'll work on that chapter idea first before going on to the next 6 chapters.**

**Anyway, on to the basics:**

**Not much to say, but I want to thank EvelioandZgroup for providing me the idea for the two part Project story, as well as bda241 and Truth of Chaos for helping me out on this chapter.**

**Also, check out his story, "Memories of Tomorrow", along with UnknownSalvation's "The Homecoming" and Sobellice's "The Kitten". All are good stories that I felt deserved some recognition, so checked either stories out if you're curious.**

**Enjoy!**

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 9-The Project: Part 2

It was a Sunday afternoon at the O'Quinn residence, as Brian, his mother and Masami were in the backyard, standing right in front of a greenhouse. The purple fox was surprised that the cloud showed up at all, despite their arguments yesterday, leaving Brian to wonder whether it was out of respect for his mother or simply to avoid getting a failing grade in Miss Simian's class. But as much as he wanted to dwell on his thoughts, he wanted to focus on what his mother had in stored for them instead.

"Mom, are you finally going to tell us what this science project idea is that you have in mind?" Brian asked.

"Yeah, Mrs. O'Quinn, just tell us already and let's get this over with." Masami demanded.

"Well, now that both of you are here, I'll explain." says Mrs. O'Quinn. "Have you two ever wondered what would happen if two people from two different lives ended up in a natural environment and their only survival is through cooperation?"

Brian and Masami looked at one another, confused by Mrs. O'Quinn's question, before deciding it was best to continue paying attention to her explanation.

"Well, since either of you are quite curious, here's how this works." Mrs. O'Quinn then points to the greenhouse. "See this greenhouse in front you? Imagine that this is a natural environment that these two people, whom I would refer to as Subject A and B, ends up in and their only means of survival is with each other. Before I go any further, does anyone have a question?"

"Actually, I do, Mrs. O'Quinn." Masami replied. "Can you tell us who exactly is Subject A and B?"

"Isn't it obvious Masami?" Mrs. O'Quinn responded.

Masami looked at the light purple fox, confused by her comment. But after a few seconds, she realized what Mrs. O'Quinn was talking about. Likewise, Brian also managed to figure it out as well. Needless to say, neither is pleased by this.

"Are you serious, mom?! There's no way I'm going to cooperate with her! Not after what happened yesterday!" Brian protested.

"Yeah Mrs. O'Quinn, furball here is just going to mess things up!" Masami spoke up, earning her a glare from the purple fox.

"Would you two rather get a failing grade?" Mrs. O'Quinn asked, with a stern expression on her face and arms crossed.

Brian and Masami paused, looked at one another with uncertainty, before they look back at Mrs. O'Quinn. Eventually, they sighed, knowing full well what the answer was going to be.

"I thought so." says Mrs. O'Quinn, before resuming her explanation.

"As I was saying, imagine the greenhouse as a natural environment that Subject A and B, which is you two, ends up in and their only means of survival is through cooperation. Therefore, all you two have to do is to make your way to the end of the greenhouse and back, all the while taking some mental notes along the way."

Once Mrs. O'Quinn finished her explanation, there was a long, awkward silence in the air and neither Brian nor Masami made an effort to talk. Finally, the cloud was the first to talk.

"So, that's it?" Masami asked, a bit perplexed by the idea. "You just wanted us to go to the end of the greenhouse and back?"

"Not to mention that we need to make a few notes about each other at the same time?" Brian asked with a hint of skepticism.

In response, Mrs. O'Quinn nodded her head in agreement, confirming the duo's question. Brian and Masami looked at another, both disliking the concept of this science project, let alone working together as part of said concept. Still, they didn't want to disappoint Mrs. O'Quinn and that was one thing they don't want to do.

"Alright mom, we'll do it. But I highly doubt this'll work out." says Brian.

"As long as I don't get a failing grade in Miss Simian's class, I just want to get the whole thing over with." Masami spoke.

With that, the duo heads into the greenhouse, as Mrs. O'Quinn looked on, hoping that the two would at least give the idea a chance. At the same time, she couldn't but wonder if there was something very important to say to the duo.

'_Whatever it is, I'm sure it'll come back to me.'_ Mrs. O'Quinn ponders, before heading back into the house. After all, what was the harm of letting two kids go into the greenhouse unattended?

* * *

The moment Brian and Masami got their first glimpse within the greenhouse, neither of them couldn't believe what they had just witnessed. Expecting to find nothing but rows of plants, gardening tools and equipments, they instead find themselves on what appears to be a genuine jungle on the inside, with exotic plants blooming all over the place. Needless to say, this isn't what they we're expecting at all.

"Wow, your mom sure has some interesting taste." Masami spoke to Brian, both amazed and awed by the scenery.

"No kidding." Brian replied. "I know she tends to this place often when she's not at her job, but I never expected this at all. Come to think of it, my mom never lets anyone, including me and dad, here at all. I wonder why she changed her mind."

"Does it matter? Let's just get to the end of the greenhouse and back before it becomes dark." says Masami.

Brian nodded his head in agreement, before he and Masami began their miniature quest within the greenhouse, pushing the bushes and branches aside to make a path along the way. While trying to form a clearing for either of them to pass, something popped up in Brian's mind.

"Hey Masami, I just realized something." says Brian. "Has it occurred to you that there's the possibility of running into any wildlife on our way to the end of the greenhouse?"

"What makes you say that?" Masami asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Think about Masami…" Brian began to explain. "This place is twice as huge on the inside then what appeared on the outside. As such, were bound to cross into any creatures at any given moment. So I suggest we should keep our guard up."

"Don't be so overdramatic." Masami replied. "I'll admit this is a huge place and even if we do encounter any wildlife, they'll probably be just bugs and garden snakes."

"I suppose you have a point…" Brian agreed, despite his reservation. "But still-"

"But nothing." says Masami, cutting off the fox's words. "This'll be a like a walk to the park. We'll be finish in no time."

Brian glared at the cloud in response, still annoyed by her previous actions. However, there was no use in arguing with Masami, so the fox sighed and resumed their path. But then, all of a sudden, a loud roar echoed all over the place, leaving both Brian and Masami visibly shaken.

"W-what was that?" Masami nervously asked.

"I-I'm sure it w-was nothing." a nervous Brian replied.

As if on cue, the duo could hear the rustlings of branches and bushes from the opposite direction, each movement becoming unsettling and wild, getting much closer to the frightened duo. But after a few seconds, the rustlings abruptly ceased, much to the confusion and relief of both Brian and Masami.

"See Masami, it was nothing." assured Brian.

Just then, something burst out of the bushes with lightning speed, startling both the fox and the cloud, before it turned around to confront the frighten duo. Staring right at them was a cat-lizard hybrid beast, covered in green fur, with white stripes, lizard-like eyes and a set of sharp fangs; it gazed at Brian and Masami with a lust for hunger, no doubt its obvious intent to make them its latest meals.

"Um…hi?" was all Brian could say.

The beast responded by ferociously roaring at them, prompting the duo to run as fast as they could, attempting to distance themselves from its wrath. Undaunted, the hybrid pursued them at a shockingly fast speed, startling the already frightened kids, desperately trying to avoid its grasp.

'_Oh man! OH MAN! This is not what I have in mind for today!'_ Brian thought, despite his sheer state of panic. At this rate, he and Masami would end up as that beast's meal. Brian just hoped that a miracle could come by anytime now.

'_Wait a minute! Where's that noise coming from?'_ Brian could hear running water coming from their direction. Wait a minute, that's it! There might be a way to outsmart this beast after all.

"Masami, I think I have an idea, but I don't have time to explain."

"What are you talking about?" Masami asked, puzzled by the fox's comment.

"Just trust me on this." Brian responded, before he grabbed the cloud's arm, making a right turn to the running water, passing through several bushes and branches, until the duo stopped at the edge of a huge lake. After taking a brief glimpse, Masami freed herself from Brian's arm, before confronting the fox about his action.

"You cannot be serious! There's no way I'm going to take a quick dive and get my hair all mess up."

"Masami…" Brian started to talk. "There's a ferocious monster behind us and you're concerned about your appearance at a time like this?!"

Before the cloud could say anything, the duo could hear the hybrid's roar right behind them. Not wanting to get into another argument, Brian grabbed Masami's arm once more, before he and the cloud took a big leap into the lake, completely submerging them. As soon as the beast showed up, it scans it surroundings, searching for its preys, attempting to find their locations; after what felt like a long time, the beast lost interest and left.

'_Phew! That was a close one.'_ Brian thought, before he and Masami re-emerged from their hiding spot, quickly swimming their way to the nearest shore. Once they reached land, Masami shook herself, attempting to dry herself as quickly as she could.

"Look what you did." Masami complained. "You got me wet all over the place. It's going to take forever to get myself clean."

"You know Masami, you should be grateful that you're alive, instead of being concerned about your appearance." Brian responded, irked by the cloud's ungratefulness.

"I would be, if you didn't cause that monster into chasing us in the first place!" Masami talked back, shaking some of the waters from her arms. "Seriously, what were you thinking saying "hi" to it to begin with?"

"First of all, your majesty, I was nervous at the time." Brian started to talk, all the while trying to be as calm as possible. "Second, it wouldn't matter whether I had said something or not. It would have chased us regardless."

"Whatever." says Masami. "I knew you were going to mess things up again, just like yesterday."

Brian cringed the moment he heard those comment from her mouth. The last thing he wanted to hear was yesterday's incident being mentioned again and she just had to bring it up. Unnerved by this, the purple fox confronted the cloud, glaring at her, before he started to talk.

"You know what, Masami? I thought today was going to be different and honestly, I was hoping to see another side of you, just to prove me that you're not just another rich kid. But after being here for a while, I'm guess I was wrong about you."

"So what are you going to do about?" asked Masami.

Brian continued to glare at her, not bothering to say another word. Before Masami knew about it, Brian walked past by her, leaving her dumbfounded by his action.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?!"

"Isn't it obvious, Masami? I'm going to the end of the greenhouse and back, with or without you." Brian responsed.

"You can't do that!" Masami shouted back at the fox.

"Well I just did. Besides, you said it yourself: this'll be like a walk in the park." Brian then continued to walk until he was out of Masami's sight, leaving the cloud all alone. She couldn't believe what had occurred just now.

"You know what?! Be that way! I'll show you I'm not just another rich kid! In fact, I'll make it to the end before you do!"

Masami knew that Brian was already long gone, but she was still upset by his action. Not wanting to dwell in her situation, Masami headed to the opposite direction. She was determined to prove that fox wrong.

* * *

It had been a few hours since Brian and Masami first entered the greenhouse, as the sun was starting to set. The cloud didn't know how far she was to the end of the greenhouse and quite frankly, she didn't care at this point. She was determined to get the last word and put Brian in his place.

"Stupid fox thinks he's so high and mighty. I'll show him whose top dog when I get there." Masami muttered, pushing the vines aside, as she tries to make a clear path towards her destination.

As she continued onwards, Masami took a quick glance over her surroundings, become quite nervous about the area she had stumbled on. The place was quite frightening, covered by mists that gave the environment a creepy tone. She could hear frogs croaking and crickets chirping around her. Needless to say, Masami was clearly frightened by these factors.

"J-just calm d-down." Masami nervously spoke to herself. "I-I'm sure there's n-nothing to worry a-about."

Masami slowly made her way forward, despite becoming increasingly unease in the area she found herself in. The sooner she finds an exit, the faster she leaves.

Just then, Masami noticed some of the bushes rustling like mad, leaving her very worried. Had that monster somehow found its way into this area and sensed her presence? Masami prayed that wasn't the case, but whatever is hiding behind those bushes can't be good at all.

'_Oh no, I can't believe this is how it's going to end.'_

As Masami closed her eyes shut, expecting the worst, she noticed that the rustling has gotten quieter, before it popping out right in front of her, revealing to be nothing but a harmless little frog, much to the cloud's relief.

'_Thank goodness it was only a frog. I thought for sure it was-'_

Suddenly, a ferocious growl roared loudly out of nowhere, shaking the entire area, prompting frogs and crickets alike to flee for safety. Likewise, Masami fled from the area as fast as she could, screaming for dear life. She didn't care where she was going nor did she care about reaching the end of the greenhouse. She just wanted to get away from this place as soon as possible.

* * *

The sun was slowly fading away, as the evening soon took its place, much to Brian's dismay, making it difficult for him to reach the end of the greenhouse. He had been wandering around this area for a long time since he ditched Masami back at the lake. Still, though, it was quiet and peaceful for a change; at least he wouldn't have to hear the cloud's complaint all day long.

'_I wonder how Masami is doing right now.'_ Brian thought, before he stopped in his track, realized what he just done.

The purple fox couldn't believe what he was thinking. Why would he be so concerned for the cloud's wellbeing? She didn't treat him that well since their first meeting and she continued to treat him like dirt. Even saving her from that beast didn't change her impression on him.

'_Even if I do go back, what good would it do? She'll just give me nothing but contempt.'_

Brian then attempt to continue his trek, but he couldn't help shake this uncertainty that is starting to cling on to him. What exactly was it? It was a little something called guilt and it clung on to him like a bug.

Slowly but surely, Brian's disdain for Masami eroded away, replaced by concern, panic and fear. He couldn't believe what he just done to her back there: leaving her all alone in this forsaken jungle and at any given moment, that beast could track Masami down and make her its latest meal. He can't let that happen at all.

"Oh man! I need to find Masami before it's too-"

Suddenly, Brian could hear screaming coming from far behind him, getting louder by the moment. As Brian turned to the direction of the noise, the fox found himself tackled to the ground, along with the individual. Dazed but otherwise fine, Brian notice Masami right on top of him, clearly startled and shocked.

"Masami…are you alright?" a concerned Brian asked.

Masami looked at Brian in response and for a while, there was a long silence. Before he knows it, the cloud proceeded to hug him, tears dripping from her face.

"Oh Brian, I'm so glad to see you for once! I wasn't certain if I was going to make it out alive! I really didn't what to do!"

"It's alright, Masami, it was my own fault to begin with. I'm just glad you're fine."

As Brian assured the fearful cloud, he just realized what she had just said to him right now.

'_Did she just call me 'Brian' for the first time?'_

Before he could say anything to Masami, the purple fox could hear a ferocious roar heading to their directions. Both Brian and Masami have no doubt that monster must have found out where they are and it'll be a matter of time before it comes right towards them. Outrunning it wasn't an option and hiding certainly wasn't going to help them either; what they need to do is to outsmart it, but how?

"Think Brian, how you deal with something that has fangs and could outrun us?" the fox mutter to himself.

As Brian attempts to create a plan, Masami made a quick look of their surroundings: a few dozen vines, scattered twigs and leaves all over the ground. Wait a second…perhaps she was on to something.

"Brian, I think I know how we could pull this off." Masami began to talk.

"Are you sure, Masami?" the fox asked with uncertainty.

"Please Brian, just trust me on this and I'll trust you in return." Masami pleaded.

Brian ponders about this, leaving the cloud rather nervous about the answer she's about to receive. Before she knows it, the fox slowly smiled back to her, much to the cloud's joy, before giving her a response.

"What do you have in mind?"

* * *

The beast prowled through the jungle, sniffing out its preys cautiously, in the hopes of coming upon the two and eating them. The evening finally settled down after a few long hours, but it didn't interests the beast one bit; it was not the time to sleep off another day. Not until it finds what it was looking for.

As the beast continued to stalk, there was still no sight of its prey at all. Where have those two disappeared to? No matter, one of them would have to show up eventually and the hunt will continue.

Right on cue, someone, or something, was rustling behind the bushes and almost immediately burst right through it. Standing in front of it was a familiar face: the purple fox this early afternoon.

"Hey ugly! You're looking forward to one savory meal? Come and get it!" he taunted, before dashing off to the opposite direction.

Though stunned by such words, the beast shrugged it off and began its pursuit. He had no idea who he's dealing with, unaware of where he's actually leading it to.

* * *

Brian ran with all of his might, passing through the bushes and vines in his path, with the beast right behind his tail. There was no doubt that it was faster than him, but there was no other choice. Not until he reached to his destination and made sure that Masami's plan would work.

As he continues running, taking a few shortcuts along the way, the purple fox could feel his stomach cramping, his legs growing tired and his breathing becoming heavier by the moment. As painful as they are, Brian choose to ignore them and continue running. There was no way he's going to let Masami down.

'_Just ignore the pain and keep running. You're almost to your destination.'_

Brian could hear the beast's roar right behind him, but the fox ignored this and pressed onward, finally reaching the end, completely exhausted from his running. Not long afterwards, the beast showed itself right in front of the fox, having its prey cornered at last. There was nowhere for him to go and could finally achieved its intended goal.

"Come on…give me…your best…shot." an exhausted Brian taunted back.

Undaunted by this, the beast prepared itself to attack, getting onto its hind legs to pounce, its eyes set sights on the purple fox. Once it was certain that he was going nowhere, the beast was about to launched towards him until…

"Now!"

Startled by this unexpected action, the beast stopped in its tracks and looked up, noticing a large cage dropping towards it. Before it could do anything, the cage successfully trapped it, cutting off any attempted escapes. As the beast looked around in the makeshift cage in disbelief, Masami came out of the bushes, floating right next to Brian. Both are surprised but happy to see their plan worked out.

"Nice going, Masami." says Brian. "It looks like you pulled it off."

"Oh, it was nothing." Masami replied, scratching her head sheepishly. "You did a good job yourself."

"It's unfortunate we didn't make it to the end of the greenhouse." Brian started to talk. "On the other hand, we did manage to put our differences aside and worked together."

"Maybe that was the whole point of this science project to begin with." Masami inquired.

As the two came to this conclusion, they suddenly heard rustlings behind a pair of bushes and after a while, they saw Mrs. O'Quinn bursting out, much to their surprise, with a look of sheer panic on her face.

"Are you two alright?!" she asked, clearly worried about the duo.

"We're alright mom, thanks for asking." Brian responded, much to his mother's relief.

"Thank goodness you and Masami are both safe. I am so sorry for letting you two enter the greenhouse in the first place. I came here as soon as possible when I realized I forgot that Elsie roams around in this area in the first place."

"Elsie?" Brian and Masami simultaneously asked, prompting Mrs. O'Quinn to point out the beast in the cage. The duo was completely stunned to discover that it was a female all this time, something that Mrs. O'Quinn noticed.

"I'll explain about that for another time." Mrs. O'Quinn responded. "As soon as I get Elsie out of this cage and feed her, I'll lead you two out safely from here."

While Mrs. O'Quinn headed to the hybrid, Brian and Masami took the time to reflect on what had just occurred in the last few hours during their time here, before facing one another.

"Look Masami, sorry I called you a spoiled, rotten brat yesterday. You really showed me that you're not such a bad girl after all." says Brian, rubbing his arm sheepishly.

"Likewise, I'm sorry for insulting you and made you do everything on your own. I mean, no one deserved to be treated like that and I should have been a better partner to you." Masami replied. "By the way, how are we going to present our science project by tomorrow?"

Brian paused for a moment, pondering on their next move. Then, Brian smiled, as he managed to figure out a way to do it.

"Leave everything to me."

* * *

It was Monday afternoon at Miss Simian's class, the day that everyone's assignment was due. When it was Brian and Masami's turn, the fox presented a simple diagram dubbed "Co-Op", comparing and contrasting Subject A and B's personality, lifestyles and actions, before he and the cloud made a speech on how, in spite of their differences, they were able to help each other out in a dire situation.

"So as you can see, even though Subject A thought Subject B was stubborn and thickhead…" Brian spoke before Masami took over.

"And even though Subject B thought Subject A was clumsy and cautious…" Masami added.

"…In the end, they managed to put their differences aside and worked together like a team."

Once Brian was finished with the last part of the speech, he and Masami anxiously wait to see what their teacher had to say, who expressed some doubts about this project.

"Hmm…I'm not so sure what to make of this. But, since your science project didn't involved a model of a volcano…" Miss Simian turned around and glares at Gumball and Darwin, both partially covered in cheese, as they chuckled rather nervously, before she focused her attention back to Brian and Masami. "…I'll give you two a B for best effort".

Brian and Masami looked at one another, both happy that they were able to get a passing grade, before both of them head back into their seats, with Brian taking the diagram with him. As he sat down, the fox notice Gumball and Darwin looking at him, their faces expressing confusion.

"What was that about?" Darwin asked.

"Yeah Brian, it looks like you and Masami were getting along just fine." Gumball pointed out.

Brian couldn't help but chuckled in response. He had a lot of explaining to do for his friends and it's going to be a very long one for them to comprehend.

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 10-The Bill_

_A simple errand becomes a complicated obstacle for Brian as he attempts to deliver a bill for his mother._

**Tidbits**

**-I honestly don't know why I put a jungle inside a greenhouse to begin with. Then again, "The Job" wasn't quite normal either. XD**

**-Originally, I was going to reveal Mrs. O'Quinn's first name (yes, she has one and so does Mr. O'Quinn) but I ultimately went against that and decided to revealed it in a future chapter instead.**

**-Been a while since the story's debut, but I proudly introduced to you guys Elsie (my first OC since Brian) a cat-lizard hybrid beast that roams inside the greenhouse, who has a strong aversion towards strangers (with the exception of Mrs. O'Quinn).**

**-First time to put some actions in the story, but it was quite tough and challenging, but a bit fun. Still, I could use some improvements for this story though.**

**-I said it before and I'll say it again: Brian and Masami will not fall in love with one another anytime soon. In fact, I already have plans to create a love interest for Brian in the future.**

**Hope you guys enjoyed reading and see ya next chapter!**


	10. The Bill

**Sorry it took so long everyone, I just got caught up in the festivity of Thanksgiving (among other things) that I forgot to post this up. That's my own fault and I take full responsibility for my own action.  
**

**Now that's done, let's get right to the basic:  
**

**Greetings fellow readers and welcome to the story's first solo chapter (and hopefully not my last). This was actually planned out for a while, but I wasn't able to fit it into the story until now.**

**Anyway, if you want to see more solo chapters in the future, just leave your thoughts on your review or PM me.**

**By the way, if any of you have any time, check out Neko-Rainbow's (formerly Sobellice) "The Amazing World of Spies" when you have the chance**

**Also, there's a community out there called Writer's Unlimited. If you're interested, check it out now and see what you think.**

**Enjoy!**

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 10-The Bill

It was a typical lazy Saturday afternoon at the O'Quinn residence, as Brian laid on the couch, watching TV and reading a comic book at the same time, while his father was upstairs taking a quick nap and his mother was busy in the kitchen. Otherwise, it seemed that today wasn't going to be an eventful one for Brian.

"Brian, could I have a moment of your time?" Mrs. O'Quinn called out, prompting the purple fox to drop his comic on the couch and make his way to the kitchen.

"Sure mom, what do you need?" Brian asked his mother.

"I was hoping if you could do this one small errand, honey. Could you put this mail containing our gas and electricity bills to the mailbox? I don't want to bother your dad and I have a lot of errands to do this afternoon. Of course, I could hold onto this for tomorrow in case you have plans of your own today."

Brian pondered, trying to see if he has something available to do. His homework wasn't due until Monday and it was quite simple and easy to do. Also, some of his favorite TV shows didn't have any new episodes for the moment and there weren't any new comics to check out and read for the moment.

With these in mind, Brian turned to his mother to give her his answer.

"Sure mom, I'll do it. Besides, I could use a bit fresh air today."

"Thank you so much, Brian." says Mrs. O'Quinn, smiling, before handing the mail to her son. "The mailbox is around the corner and don't take too long on you're way there."

"Don't worry mom, I'll be back before you know it." Brian assured his mother, before heading to the front door. As far as he was concern, today was going to be an uneventful one. At least, that was his initial impression of today.

* * *

With the mail inside the pocket of his hoodie, Brian made his way towards the mailbox around the corner, which was only a block from where he was. While making his way to his destination, he couldn't help but chuckle a bit from his mother's earlier comment. So it'll probably take him like a few minutes, but it doesn't mean it'll be long.

"All I have to do is sent this mail in the mailbox and head right back home. Besides, nothing's going to happen, as far I could tell."

As Brian continued walking, he suddenly bumped into something, causing him to trip to the pavement face first. Thankfully, it wasn't painful and the mail was safely tucked in the pocket of his hoodie.

'_What just happened right now?'_

"Hey, are you alright?" asked a young, digitized voice, prompting Brian to turn to the direction of said voice. Right in front of him was an 8-bit spider, despite having six legs, looking a bit concerned for his wellbeing. It didn't take too long for Brian to realize who he is.

"Sorry Ocho, looks like I didn't see you there."

"That's alright, I didn't…Say, what you mean you didn't 'see' me?" Ocho asked, suddenly suspicious by Brian's comment, much to the fox's discomfort.

"It's not like that, Ocho, it's just that...I wasn't paying attention on my way to deliver a mail that I didn't even know you were in my path." Before Brian knew it, Ocho was suddenly floating right in his face, his friendly demeanor replaced by anger.

"Can you see me now?!" he angrily asked, moving closer to Brian. "CAN YOU SEE ME NOW?! **CAN YOU SEE ME NOW?!"** Ocho's voice intensified with each word, leaving the purple fox in utter shock and fear.

"Y-yes, yes I do. Just please, stop that already!" a fearful Brian responded. Ocho suddenly calmed down, acted like the whole thing never happened in the first place.

"Oh, that's good to know. At least now we won't get into another accident. See you on Monday."

With that, Ocho went to the opposite direction, while Brian continued on his way, still shaken from the spider's outburst.

'_Note to self: choose my words carefully the next time I see him.'_ Once Brian made note of this, the fox calmed himself long enough to continue on.

"Ocho sure needs to practice his socialization. But right now, I need to-"

"Not so fast, Brian." a ghostly, feminine voice spoke out of nowhere.

Brian paused in his tracks, looking in every direction to find the source of the voice. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't fine the individual anywhere at all.

"Um…where are you?" Brian asked, hoping whoever he was talking to would show up.

On cue, a figure mysteriously appeared out of nowhere and before the fox knew it, he found himself facing a young ghost, strands of hair covering one of her eyes, with a skull hairclip attached right on top of it. It was then that Brian realized it was the same ghost he saw on his first day at school.

"Carrie, is it? Look, I love to chat and all, but I'm quite busy for the moment. So whatever it is you're up to is going to have to wait." says Brian, before he resumed walking to his intended destination.

"Brian, wait!" Carrie pleaded, prompting the fox to stop once more. "This is going to be quick, I swear."

Against his better judgment, Brian sighed and turned around to face the ghost once more.

"Alright Carrie, what is it that you want?" Brian inquired to the ghost.

"Could you help me finish this meal?" Carrie asked, as she pulled a sandwich out of nowhere. Brian looked at her, a bit perplexed by this request.

"Sorry for stating the obvious, but why?"

"DUH! I'm a ghost and food passed right through me. Also, I was going to stop by at Gumball's place and asked him first, but since I saw you coming, I figured you would do."

Brian paused to think about Carrie's bizarre request; the purple fox recalled Gumball informing him of her crazy junk food spree and how it ended up with him becoming overweight in the process. Still, he didn't want to be rude to her and decided there was only one thing to do.

"If I let you take possession of my body, are you going to eat that sandwich and **only** that sandwich?"

"I swear it." Carrie assured Brian.

"Are you sure?" Brian asked, earning him a glare from the ghost.

"I'm sorry, Carrie. I just want to make sure, that's all. Anyway, go right ahead."

"Thanks." Carrie says with a grin, before she handed Brian the sandwich and enter into his body via his mouth. Expecting something to occur right away, Brian was strangely in good condition instead.

"Well…that was odd." Brian started to say. "For a second, I sure it was going to be-"

Suddenly, the purple fox felt his body going under spontaneous spasms, twitching with each movement. After several more spasms, Brian's body fell into Carrie's complete control, as she eyed the sandwich with great delight.

"**Down you go where you belong."** Carrie spoke darkly to the sandwich, devouring it like a mad animal, before belching out loudly. Satisfied with her cravings, Carrie exited Brian's body, allowing the fox to regain control of his body.

"Thanks for helping me out." Carrie says to Brian, before teleporting herself out of his sights. The fox, meanwhile, try to regain his composure from both the ghost's possession and action.

'_Ugh! I can't believe she made me eat a sandwich consisting of peanut butter, jelly and ham. I need to remind myself to use some mouthwash when this is over.'_

Decided that it was better to pretend the whole thing never happened, Brian resumed walking to the mailbox, intending to finish what he started. But halfway towards his intended destination, two familiar voices shouted out of nowhere.

"Brian! Brian! We need your help real quick!"

Brian paused in his tracks, dismay that he finds himself interrupted from his simple task. His best friends Gumball and Darwin unexpectedly popped up out of nowhere, their heads sweating with anxiety and their faces filled with sheer panic.

"Guys, I have a very long day and whatever it is, put it on hold right now."

"This is no time for arguments, Brian. Besides, this happens to be really urgent."

Without warning, Gumball grabbed the Brian's paw and, along with Darwin, dashed in a blink of an eye, dragging the unfortunate fox with him. The next thing he knew, Brian, Darwin and Gumball were standing right in front of a rather large tree. Confused and dumbfounded by this scenery, Brian confronted the duo.

"Can you two explain why we're here to begin with?" asked Brian.

In response, both Gumball and Darwin pointed upwards to the sky. Though puzzled, Brian complied and looked up, until he saw an object on one of the tree's branches. Brian squinted his eyes as hard as he could, before he was able to identify the object: a pink and yellow donkey doll with a silly look on its face. Curious by this sight, the purple fox confronted the anxious duo about this unexpected discovery.

"Before I could help you two with your problem, just answer these two questions. First, how did a Daisy the Donkey doll end up all the way up there and second, does Anais know what you guys have done?"

"It's a long and complicated story and I don't think we should bore you with the details." Darwin replied.

"Fortunately, Anais is with mom and dad when it happened." Gumball added. "But if she knew what we did with her doll, we're in so much trouble."

"That explains why you and Darwin dragged me here in this area in the first place." Brian concluded.

"Exactly Brian, so could you please help us retrieved that doll before our sister finds out?" asked Gumball, before he and Darwin went on their knees, begging for his help.

Brian ponders for a moment about his situation. While he still wants to complete his errand for his mother, he certainly didn't want to see his friends in trouble with their family, especially with Nicole, knowing full well of her explosive personality. With that in mind, Brian focused his attention on the duo, ready to give out his answer.

"I guess I could help you guys." Brian replied, as Gumball and Darwin shouted with joy.

'_I just hope it doesn't take too long to get that doll.'_ Brian thought, as he, Gumball and Darwin began their ascension towards the top of the tree.

* * *

**5 Minutes later…**

It was a long, perilous journey, but somehow, Gumball, Darwin and Brian finally made it to the top of the tree, where Daisy the Donkey resides on the farthest branch, despite being completely exhausted.

Climbing their way to reach the doll had proven to be quite treacherous, as Gumball accidentally angered a swarm of bees for disturbing their beehive, forcing the trio to climb much faster than they have originally planned. While trying to avoid getting stung, they have nuts thrown right at them by squirrels and woodpeckers pecking on their heads on their way up. By the time they reached to their destination, the bees completely lost interests in them, much to their relief.

"Gumball…" Brian started to talk. "Next time, be careful! We nearly got stung by a swarm of angry bees!"

"How was I supposed to know there was a beehive in my way?!" Gumball argued back.

"Guys, forget about the bees! We need to focus on getting Daisy." Darwin spoke out, prompting both Gumball and Brian to cease their brief argument, as the trio stared at the doll lying at the farthest branch. There was no doubt that they are at least a few inches away from retrieving Anais' favorite toy, but the branch looked like it was going to break loose at any given moment.

"Alright, one of us has to go and get that doll." Brian remarked, before he and Gumball turned their attention to Darwin, much to the fish's discomfort.

"Are you guys serious? Why do you want me to do it?"

"For starters, your legs are quite long, Darwin." Brian reasoned with the two-legged fish.

"Plus, I'm not good on grabbing and holding onto things." insisted Gumball.

Once they made their closing arguments, Darwin sighed and proceeded to make his way to the farthest branch, all the while carefully crawling his way to the doll. Somehow, Darwin was able to make it to the branch without much effort; all he has to do is grab it, make it back to his friends and find a way to get done. Clinging onto the twig, Darwin slowly stretched his flipper out to the toy, reaching it as far as he could.

_'Almost...got it...'_

As Darwin reached closer to Daisy the Donkey, the branch suddenly snapped, taking him and the doll with it. Startled by this, Gumball and Brian immediately leaped towards Darwin, with the fox grabbing the fish by his ankle and in turn, Gumball grabbed the fox's, before he latched on to a nearby branch with his tail.

"Are you alright Gumball!?" shouted Brian.

"I'm fine, Brian. What about Darwin? Is he alright?" asked Gumball.

"Don't worry, you guys, I'm fine. Plus, I've got Daisy the Donkey with me." Darwin responded.

"That's great and all, but how are we supposed to get done now?" Brian asked.

As if on cue, the branch that Gumball was clinging on suddenly snapped, sending them right down to the ground. Fortunately, rows of branches happen to be on their path, slowing down their descent, until they managed to make a soft landing, with nothing but dusts of dirt covering them.

'_Well, didn't see that one coming'_ Brian thought, as he attempted to regain his composure, before the Daisy the Donkey doll hit him on the head. Surprisingly, the doll was relatively intact, with not one scratch on it. The purple fox then grabbed the doll off the ground and headed right to his friends, who are also trying to regain their composure as well.

"Here you go guys." Brian said, handing the doll to Gumball. "Looks like you two won't be in so much trouble after all."

"Thank you so much for your help, Brian." praised Gumball. "We really appreciate your help."

"But right now, we need to get back home before Mrs. Mom, Mr. Dad and Anais finds out." Darwin noted, before he and Gumball head to the opposite direction, disappearing around the corner.

Brian, satisfied by this, checked the pocket of his hoodie to check the mail containing the bill, hoping it wasn't damaged during the fall. Thankfully, the mail was fine, with not one scratched on it. As the purple fox checked the mail, he noticed the mailbox right next to him, the same one he had intended to make a delivery since this afternoon, much to his joy.

'_Finally, I could get rid of this mail and head back home.'_ As Brian made his way to the mailbox, with the mail in his paw, he is about to put it in when he suddenly spotted something on the top-left corner of the mail.

"You got to be kidding me!" Brian shouted in disbelief, as he realized that there was no stamp on it. Of all the things that had to happen this afternoon, this was the last thing he wanted to encounter.

"Great, what I am going to do now?" Brian asked himself. "Well, it can't get any worse than this."

Suddenly, Brian could hear footsteps stomping from behind him, getting louder by the moment, until they abruptly ceased. Frightened by this, the purple fox slowly turned his head and upon setting his gaze on the figure, his eyes grew wide and his jaws almost dropped to the floor, as Tina looked down upon him.

'_What is Tina Rex doing here?! Wait a minute…could she be…uh oh.'_ Once Brian came to the realization, he closed his eyes and raised his arm, with the mail being the only line of defense.

"Let me guess Tina, the restriction on me is finally over and you're going to pummel me like a rag doll?" Brain asked, not caring what the answer was going to be. He just wanted to get the whole thing over with. But what happened next surprised the purple fox.

"Actually, you'll get yours next week. I just stopped by to help you out for the moment."

Before Brian knew what was happening, the t-rex leaned closer to the fox and unexpectedly produced a stamp out of nowhere, before she stuck it on the mail Brian is holding. Surprised to witness such an action, Brian looked at Tina with suspicion.

"I know what you're thinking, but I could tell you've been through enough. That's why I decided to help you out instead."

Stunned by Tina's admission, but relieved at the same time, Brian couldn't believe how today was turning out.

"Thanks for your help, Tina." Brian happily says, as he put the mail containing the bill in the mailbox. "Looks like I owe you again."

"Don't mention it, furball." Tina replied, before she started to chuckle. Likewise, Brian started to chuckle as well, before the t-rex leaned towards to the fox with a stern expression.

"Seriously, don't mention it. I still have a reputation to maintain."

Nodding his head in agreement, Brian nervously walked away from Tina, as he started to make his way back home. He had a lot of explaining to do to his mother.

* * *

"Brian, where have you been?" Mrs. O'Quinn asked, as her son made his way to the kitchen.

"It's been a long day mom and I don't feel like talking about it." Brian replied.

"Alright honey, if you say so." says Mrs. O'Quinn, before Brian headed to the living room, intending to do nothing but watch TV and read his comic book.

"Oh, by the way Brian, I almost forgot." Mrs. O'Quinn suddenly spoke

"What is it?" Brian asked, as he stopped in his tracks to hear what his mother has to say.

"When you have the time, could you mail this letter to your grandparents back at Folsom? I forgot to give it to you when you left the house this afternoon. Are you fine with that Brian?"

Expecting to hear a response from her son, Mrs. O'Quinn realized that Brian hadn't said a word since she asked him.

"Brian, are you there?" asked Mrs. O'Quinn, before she spotted her son on the ground, realizing he had just fainted, much to her confusion.

"Was it something I said?"

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_The Mouse-Part 1_

_It's love at first sight for Brian, as he becomes smitten over a mysterious girl and he'll do anything to see her again._

**Tidbits**

**-After it was pointed out that I haven't focus much on Brian's home life, I decided to make a chapter to do just that. Also, I wanted to thank Neko-Rainbow for that.**

**-This chapter was loosely inspired by "The Many and The Fowl" (a DC Nation short starring Plastic Man), but with my own take on it as well.**

**-Originally, Brian was going to face at least 6 obstacles, but I felt that would turn off many readers, so I reduced it to four.**

**As a reminder, I have a poll up in my profile regarding 7 chapter ideas for this story. By the end of the year, whichever gets the highest vote will be the first one I'll do (the rest would be done in order, depending on the number of votes).**

**Hope you guys enjoyed reading and see ya next chapter!**

**P.S.-Happy late Thanksgiving!**


	11. The Mouse: Part 1

**I apologized for the very long delay, but I was caught up doing so many errands that I forgot about this chapter. I'm sorry this happen and I swear that this won't happened ever again.  
**

**Now that I got it off of my chest, lets get right back to the basics:  
**

**Greetings fellow readers!**

**It's been a long while, but I proudly announced that not only will I be doing the first story arc since "The Kid", I'll finally introduced to you guys, for the first time ever, Brian's love interest, along with a few other OCs that I have been planning for a long time.**

**The reason I'm going through with this now is because I felt Brian didn't developed enough to have one since I began this story. However, I feel comfortable enough to go through with this after ten long chapters.**

**Hopefully, the wait was worth the effort.**

**Finally, when anyone has the chance, check out Supergogeta14's "Gumball Z" and see what you think about it.**

**So read and enjoy!**

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 11-The Mouse: Part 1

It was another beautiful day in the town of Elmore. The birds are singing, the sun is shining brightly and four elderly men sitting on the lawn, reminiscing about the good old days of their youths. Everything seems to be quite perfect and serene. That is, until…

"Oh man! I can't believe I woke up late!" Brian shouted, riding on his bike like mad and leaving a trail of dust, causing both birds and men to cough in the process. "I'm in so much trouble right now!"

"Watch what you doing, you crazy kid!" shouted Bert.

But Brian didn't have time to apologize at the moment. Right now, he had to get to school on time before Miss Simian gave him detention.

Not so long ago, Brian panicked when he saw the time on his digital clock in his bedroom. To make matters worse, his father had already left for work and his mother was still asleep, forcing the purple fox to bike his way to school. Thankfully, he had been around town long enough for him to memorize the path.

'_As long as I could keep this pace, I think I should make it to school on time.'_ Brian thought, still riding his bike as fast as he could. While the purple fox focused on his destination, he failed to notice another individual on the path.

"Wait a minute there! Look out!" shouted a feminine voice.

"Huh?"

Before Brian could even react, both he and the individual struck one another on their bikes, forcing them to fall to the ground. Fortunately, neither of them suffered any serious injuries, as the two landed safely on the lawn. As Brian got up and dusted himself, he spotted the individual a few inches away, attempting to regain her composure.

"I'm so sorry!" Brian apologized, as he made his way to the individual and offering his paw, his eyes momentarily off of her as he looked at his bike. "I woke up late this morning and I was in a bit of a rush to my school."

"That's alright." The individual replied, as she grabbed Brian's paw to get herself up. "I was also in a bit of a hurry to my own school as well."

"I'm just glad that you're alright." says Brian. "I wouldn't know what would have happen if I…I…I…"

When Brian finally sets his gaze on the individual, he was at a loss of words. In front of him was a mouse, with yellow fur, short, brown hair with a green bow on it and was as tall as Penny. Her outfit appeared to be a uniform of sort: a blue sweater with white collars and cuffs, a green plaid skirt and a pair of white socks and black shoes.

Struck dumb by her beauty, Brian was unable to say anything and instead formed a goofy smile on his face; his eyes grew wide, his arm hung down and his knees bend in an awkward position. Fortunately for the fox, the mouse didn't notice his strange demeanor right away.

"Like I said, it's alright." The mouse assured Brian. "By the way, my name's Rhonda Paxton, what's yours?"

"B-B-Brian O'Quinn." The fox awkwardly introduced himself, earning him a perplexed look from Rhonda.

"Alright then." says Rhonda, before expressing concern for the fox. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Yep, never better." Brian replied.

Rhonda continued to look at Brian, still a bit weird out by his behavior. But she smile, glad to know that the purple fox was at least fine.

"Well, its nice meeting you Brian, but I have to get to my school right now. Bye now."

"Bye-bye." Brian bid the mouse a farewell.

With that, Rhonda picked up her bike and left for her school. The fox remained on the lawn, still entranced by the sight he had gazed upon not so long ago.

'_Wow...what a girl.'_ Brian thought, before he picked up his bike and continued biking his way towards Elmore Junior High.

* * *

The afternoon had made its way to Elmore Junior High, as every student left their classes and made their way towards the cafeteria, either to munch on today's meal or simply formed a conversation with one another. While Gumball and Darwin head towards their usual spot, their meals on their tray, they noticed Brian was already at the table, happily drawing on what appears to be a sketchbook.

"Hey Gumball…" Darwin began whispering to his brother's ear. "Have you noticed that Brian has been acting a bit weird lately since he came to school this morning?"

"Yeah buddy, I have noticed that." Gumball answered back. "He wasn't even fazed by Miss Simian's lecture when he came a minute late to class."

Gumball and Darwin noticed that Brian had been in a blissful-like trance ever since he came to school, to the point that he became oblivious to his own surroundings. In class, when Miss Simian gave everyone a surprised pop quiz, they noticed that Brian ended up answering each question in the form of hearts, much to the baboon's confusion. At the gym, when Tobias knocked the purple fox down on the head, his eyes formed into hearts for no reason. Finally, on their way to lunch, Tina shook Brian out of half his lunch money, yet he didn't seem to have a care in the world.

Determined to find the cause of their friend's unusual behavior, Gumball and Darwin headed right to their table where Brian is, hoping that he was no longer in his trance-like state.

"Hey Brian, are you feeling alright?" asked Gumball.

Brian almost jumped when he heard his friend's question. "...I'm doing well so far. Why?"

"Well, it's just that you've been acting very strange lately and we wanted to know what the big deal is."

Brian put his sketchbook and pencil on the table, before he happily gave his friends an explanation.

"If you guys must know, I think I have met the girl of my dreams."

Brian's answer stunned Gumball and Darwin. It's been one whole month since Brian moved from Folsom and the last thing they ever expected was for their friend to fall in love for the first time. At the same time, they couldn't help but feel happy that their friend has somebody to love.

"Congratulations Brian." Darwin said, as he patted the fox's back. "So who's the girl that won your heart?"

Before Brian could say anything, Gumball suddenly cut him off, as if he had already found the answer.

"I knew you weren't going to deny it any longer. It's obviously that you finally realized that you have feelings for Masami."

In response, Brian glared back at the feline, confused by the fox's action.

"Gumball, we've been through this already. Masami and I don't like each other that way."

"Sure Brian, I believe you." Gumball sarcastically replied as he smiled slyly.

"Is it Teri?" Darwin asked Brian, hoping to change the subject.

"Are you kidding me? She sprayed my paw and cleaned it with sanitizers before I could even shake her hand."

"What about Carmen?" Gumball guessed.

"Have you seen those needles? There's no way I could kiss her without getting myself hurt."

"Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! I bet its Sussie." Darwin eagerly exclaimed

"Aw gross. Are you serious Darwin?"

"It's not Carrie, Molly, Jamie or Tina, is it?" Gumball inquired the fox.

"No, no, no and no." answered Brian. "Also, as a remainder, I'm only interested in Penny as a friend."

"Alright Brian, we give up. If it isn't any of those girls, who is it then?" Gumball impatiently asked.

"If you guys just let me show you who it is, I'm more than willing to answer that nagging question." Brian replied, as he grabbed his sketchbook and presented them to his friends.

Gumball and Darwin looked at the drawing, inspecting it as hard as they could. From what they could tell, the sketch itself appeared to be a mouse, apparently sharing Penny's height, with short hair and a bow attached to it. She was also wearing a school uniform. After inspecting the drawing further, Gumball and Darwin looked at Brian with a smug look, much to the fox's confusion.

"Why are you guys looking at me like that?"

"I think I know what's going on." Gumball finally spoke. "You're too proud to admit that this girl existed only in your head."

"Say what?" Brian asked, aghast by Gumball's answer.

"There's nothing to be ashamed about, Brian." says Darwin. "It's alright to admit that she's just literally happens to be the girl of your dreams."

"Guys, I would never make up something like this." Brian attempted to explain. "She's a real girl. I know, I even touched her hand this morning. Plus, her name's Rhonda Paxton"

"Alright Brian, whatever you say." Gumball sarcastically replied. "We'll play along with you if it'll cheer you up."

While Gumball and Darwin chuckled, Brian simply rolled his eyes, a bit disappointed that his friends expressed doubts about her existence. Just then, Anais strolled by, with a book resting on her arm.

"Hey guys." Anais greeted both her brothers and Brian, prompting the trio to wave their hands back. Anais then noticed the fox looked a bit down for some reason.

"Um, is everything alright Brian?" Anais asked.

"Oh, it's nothing big, Anais." Brian replied. "But if you must know, I've been trying to explain to your brothers about this girl I liked this morning."

"Wow Brian, you've found a girl you liked in just one month?" Anais was a bit surprised to hear that from the fox, but she couldn't but smiled for him. "That's good to hear. Who is it?"

"I'm glad you asked, Anais. The answer is from this sketchbook." Brian then handed the sketchbook to the child prodigy, who began to examine the drawing, while the purple fox anxiously waits for a response from her. He just hoped that Anais doesn't expressed doubt about the mouse's existence, just like Gumball and Darwin did earlier.

"Well…" Anais started to talk. "I'm not so sure whether or not this girl is even real to begin with."

'_Aw man! I knew this was too good to be true!'_ Brian thought in dismay.

"But if it makes you feel better, I think I know which school she goes to."

All of a sudden, Anais found herself pulled off the ground and found her face pressed onto Brian's, stunned to hear such an answer from the child prodigy.

"Are you serious, Anais?! Please tell me where she is! I really want to see her again!" Brian pleaded.

While Brian tried to get some answer out of the child prodigy, Gumball suddenly popped right in front of him, displeased by what he's just witnessing.

"Brian! Calm yourself! Also, put down Anais this instant!" Gumball demanded, prompting the fox to put the child prodigy down to the floor, much to his embarrassment.

"Are you alright, Anais?" Darwin asked, as he and Gumball came to their sister's aide.

"I appreciate your concern Darwin, but I'm fine." Anais replied, regaining her composure from Brian's earlier action, before she confronted the fox, glaring at him.

"I'm so sorry, Anais." Brian apologized, rubbing his head sheepishly. "I guessed I overreacted with joy. But do you really have a clue as to her whereabouts?"

"If I say yes, can you promise me not to do that again?" asked Anais.

"Don't worry, Anais, I won't pull off another stunt like that." Brian assured the child prodigy.

Anais pondered for a moment about her decision, while Brian nervously looked on, uncertain whether she was more than willing to help him out or not. After what feels like a long time, Anais turned her attention to Brian, ready to give the anxious fox her answer.

"Sure Brian, I think I know where she could be. In fact, we'll even help you out."

"You really mean it, Anais?" Brian asked with enthusiasm. "Thank you so much!"

"Wait a minute!" Gumball suddenly said. "What do you exactly mean by that, Anais?"

"Isn't obvious, Gumball?" Anais began explaining. "Brian clearly wants to meet this girl again. Besides, he's still not familiar with certain areas around town, so we might as well have his back for the time being."

"Are you saying that we should help Brian look for a girl who might have been a figment of his imagination?" Darwin asked, prompting the purple fox to glare back at the fish. "What?"

"Regardless, we're still his friends and I think we should give him a benefit of the doubt." Anais then returned her attention to Brian. "Before I could go any further, I just got one question: are you wanted to go through with this, Brian?"

"I'll do anything to see her so badly again." Brian replied.

"That's all I needed to hear. Now, here's how this is going to work…"

* * *

The very next day, Brian made his way to the Watterson's house, having to leave his home thirty minutes ago, but not before he left a note to informed his parents that he was going to take the bus to school instead of the usual routine. He felt bad about lying to his folks, but Anais insisted that it was the only way for this plan to work out. Speaking of which…

"Where is Anais anyway?" Brian asked himself. "She said she and her brothers would be here as soon as possible."

On cue, Anais, along with Gumball and Darwin, came out of the front door of their house, making their way towards Brian.

"There you are." Brian exclaimed. "What took you and your brothers so long?"

"I apologized for the long wait, Brian." Anais explained. "I just double checked to make sure the school was convinced that we were going to be absent for today."

"I still have a hard time believing a four year old was capable of hacking into the school's system with such ease." says Brian.

"Believe me, Brian…" Gumball started to talk "When it comes to technology, Anais could pull it off like a pro."

"Besides, at least we don't have to go Miss Simian's class today." Darwin cheerfully spoke.

"If you put it that way, I guess this plan could work out." Brian agreed, before returning his attention to Anais. "Did you by any chance found out where Rhonda might be?"

"I stayed up all night looking for any clues for this girl." Anais explained. "As promised, I was eventually able to find which school she goes to. It appears that she goes to a place called Elmore Academy."

"You really mean it?" Brian asked with excitement. "Tell me more."

Before Anais could open her mouth, she noticed the transit bus heading towards their way, until making a full stop near their house and opening its doors for them.

"I'll explain what I know on our way." Anais said to Brian, before she, her brothers and the anxious fox stepped inside the transit bus, before closing its doors behind and preparing to make the long trek to Elmore Academy.

* * *

**30 Minutes Later…**

Brian, Gumball, Darwin and even Anais couldn't believe the sight that befell upon them, as the four exited from the transit bus. Standing right in front of them was a building that looked liked a huge old mansion, much bigger and grander than their school, with steel fences and a large, state of the art gate separating the school and the four kids.

But the school was not the only thing Brian was thinking about. While the transit bus was taking them to their destination, Anais explained a bit more about Elmore Academy: apparently, only those who came from wealthy families are able to afford it and the students who attended this school were uptight and more snobbish than Masami, to the point of superiority. But the purple fox found that information troubling: the girl he met yesterday certainly didn't behave like a snob, yet why would she attend a school with such people? Either way, this information did little to deter Brian's interest in Rhonda.

"So this is the place where she attends." Brian muttered. "Hopefully, I could give her a proper introduction this time."

With that in mind, Brian proceeded to make his way towards the gate. But before he could even touch it, the purple fox suddenly felt a slight tug from his arm, prompting him to turn around and saw Anais staring at him, a look of worried on her face.

"You can't just go walk in there anytime you want to."

"Why can't I do that?" Brian asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Yeah Anais, what do you mean by that?" asked Gumball.

"This isn't like the school we normally attend." Anais began explaining. "Elmore Academy is very strict when it comes to outsiders. The moment we step foot in their territory, we'll practically be chased off before we even have a chance."

"Are you sure what you're saying isn't in any form of exaggeration?" Darwin curiously asked.

"Get out and **stay** out!" a rough, deep voice shouted.

Without warning, a young individual, an orange dog, is suddenly thrown towards the now open gate, prompting the four to quickly step aside to avoid getting injured. The orange dog looked towards the mystery figure, cowering in fear from the ground, before he walked right towards to the dog, giving both Brian and the Watterson siblings a good glimpse of the individual. Standing in front of them is a tall, well built, bald toad, with black, beady eyes, a large chin and a purple tracksuit that he was wearing, as he stared right at the terrified orange dog with a stern expression.

"I'm only going to say this once and you better listen. The next time I see you on school ground, you're going to face the wrath of Big Mac! Understand townie?"

The orange dog nodded his head in agreement, before he got up and ran as fast as he could to the opposite direction, disappearing from Big Mac's sight. The disgruntled toad then spotted Brian and his friends on the sideline, as the four became quite uncomfortable in his presence.

"The same applies to you little munchkins as well, so don't make me do anything that I'll regret." warned Big Mac, before he turned around and headed right back to the academy, the gate automatically closing right behind him. Brian, meanwhile, was clearly shaken by the toad's dire threat.

'_Oh man! That is one toad I don't want to mess with.'_ Brian thought.

"Come on, you guys, lets get the heck out here." says Darwin, as he quickly turns around to walk away from the academy. Unfortunately for the two-legged fish, Brian quickly grabbed his flipper, dismay by his friend's action.

"We can't leave yet, Darwin. I haven't even talked to Rhonda."

"Brian…" Darwin started to talk. "As much as I want to help you find your dream girl, there is no way I am going to set foot in there and risked getting my life beaten out by some macho toad!"

"Plus, we don't even have a plan to get in and out of the academy without getting caught." Gumball explained to Brian. "Also, that Big Mac fellow looks like he might follow through with his threat. I don't think it's worth such a risk for one girl."

Brian looked at his friends, stunned to hear what was coming from their mouths. In disbelief, the purple fox looked down on the ground, depressed by this unfortunate turn of event. Sensing his state of distress, Gumball put his paw on Brian's shoulder, trying his best to comfort the purple fox as best as he could.

"Look Brian, I'm sorry for what I said earlier and I know how much you want to see this Rhonda person, but it's not like the solution to our problem is just going to show up in an instant."

Out of nowhere, a white truck, with "Laundry" labeled on the side, drove up towards the gate, making a complete stop. Its driver, Pantsbully, was busy humming some song on the radio, all the while ignoring the presence of both Brian and the Watterson siblings, surprised to see such an unexpected outcome.

"What are the odds of that ever happening?" asked Gumball.

Anais was about to answer her brother's question until Brian put his paw over her mouth, much to her confusion.

"You don't really have to answer that." says Brian, before releasing his paw. "Let's just get inside the truck right away."

Nodding their heads in agreement, Brian, Gumball, Darwin and Anais quickly opened the back of the truck before quietly closing the door. Shortly afterwards, the gate automatically opened, allowing the laundry truck to make its routine delivery towards the academy.

Meanwhile, back inside the truck, both Brian and the Watterson siblings looked at another, their faces filled with anxiety and fear, as they could hear the truck inching much closer to its destination. Whether it was being caught trespassing or facing the wrath of Big Mac, one thing is certain: they have just entered in enemy territory and the only thing they could do now is pray that they'll make it out of the academy alive.

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 12-The Mouse: Part 2_

_Brian, Gumball, Darwin and Anais go incognito as students of Elmore Academy, all the while avoiding Big Mac. But when Brian finally manages to meet Rhonda again, he discovers another student vying for her affection._

**Tidbits**

**-Just to remind everyone, when I do OCs, I usually envisioned how the character will sound like, in order to match their personality (in case anyone has forgotten, I visualized Dante Basco voicing Brian O'Quinn). For Rhonda Paxton, I imagine Ashley Johnson (best known as Gwen from the Ben 10 series) voicing her and for Big Mac, I imagine Kevin Michael Richardson (recently voicing Kilowog on Green Lantern) voicing him.**

**-The story arc was loosely inspired by the iOS game "The Act", due mainly by its plot, which I find to be rather interesting.**

**-Just to clear things up, Elmore Academy is created specifically for the story and as such, it does not exist on the show at all.**

**-When I created Rhonda, my intention was to make her quite different from Penny, in terms of personality, which will be featured much more in the next chapter.**

**-As mentioned earlier, the reason I finally decided to create a love interest for Brian now is because I felt that, at the time, he wasn't developed enough in the story yet. After ten long chapters, however, I felt it was the right time to go through with it.**

**Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, as well as Rhonda, despite her brief appearance in this chapter. But don't worry fellow readers, she'll be featured a lot more in the next few chapters.**

**See ya next time!**


	12. The Mouse: Part 2

**I apologized for the long delay, but at the time, I had writer's block, due to the direction I wanted to take with this chapter. Thankfully, with Sal's help, I now know the direction I wanted this chapter to take.**

**Thank you so much for the positive reception on Rhonda, the love interest of Brian. I'll admit, I wasn't certain whether I done it right or not, but after reading the reviews, I know for certain that I was right on tracked. Again, thank you so much!**

**BTW, I never imagined I would have 40 reviews ever since I began "The Newcomer". That really means so much to me. :D**

**Also, as a reminder, I still have a poll up regarding future chapter ideas for "The Newcomer", which will end very soon by New Year's Eve.**

**Finally, I have another story on the TAWOG archive up; it's called "The Vampire" and if anyone's interested, check it out when you guys have the chance.**

**Anyway, read and enjoy!**

**Update: Made a slight change in the summary for "The Mouse: Part 3", but it's otherwise the same chapter.  
**

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 12-The Mouse: Part 2

It took quite longer for Pantsbully to make his way down the long road, but he was finally able to reach Elmore Academy, driving the laundry truck all the way to the back of the school, intending to unload the latest batch of uniforms for the students who could afford it.

Once Pantsbully parked the laundry truck right next to the building, the large blue humanoid got out of the vehicle and made his way towards the back of the truck. But before he could even open it, a blur of blue, orange, pink and purple suddenly dashed right out of the vehicle, leaving Pantsbully both dumbfounded and shocked from what he had witnessed, before quickly inspecting the now open truck. Upon doing so, he noticed something quite off, much to his displeasure.

"What the flip was that?! Why are there four missing uniforms?!"

* * *

Gumball, Darwin, Anais and Brian ran as fast as they could, praying that the driver didn't managed to spot them, before they stopped right in front of Elmore Academy, exhausted from their last minute actions.

As Brian and the Watterson siblings try to regain their composure, the purple fox couldn't believe they have managed to pull off such a move. While the laundry truck was making its way towards its destination, both he and his friends were lucky enough to find uniforms matching their sizes, before dashing off from the truck at the last minute. Fortunately, the driver didn't seem to notice their presence or their attempt would have been in vain.

Brian looked at himself, before looking right back at his friends. Similar to Rhonda's outfit, all of them wore blue sweater, with white collars and cuffs, but while Anais wore a green plaid skirt, Brian, Gumball and Darwin wore grey pants, each fitting them perfectly well; plus, the purple fox wore a pair of glasses that he managed to find in one of the uniforms. Brian had to admit: he and his friends looked almost like students of Elmore Academy.

"Hey Brian…" Gumball finally spoke. "Are you sure these uniforms are enough to blend us in with the rest of these students?"

"Let's not worry about that, Gumball." Brian replied. "Right now, we'll just pretend that we are like everyone else in Elmore Academy, all the while locating Rhonda."

"Brian's right." Anais says, agreeing with the purple fox. "As long as we keep everything to ourselves, we'll be able to get in and out of here before they even know it."

"I don't know if that's even possible." Darwin started to doubt. "I'm afraid that Big Mac might find out what we're doing here and go through with his threat. Plus, this outfit is chafing my scales and these pants are a bit tight around my ankles."

"Just bear with it, buddy." says Gumball, as he tries to calm his friend down. "As soon we help Brian find this Rhonda girl, we'll be out of here as soon as possible."

"Besides Darwin, I think you look great in that outfit." assured Anais.

"Anais is right." Brian added. "You really need to wear clothes more often."

"You really think so?" asked Darwin.

"Am I interrupting anything?" A certain rough, deep voice asked.

Both Brian and the Watterson siblings stopped what they were doing, their faces filled with anxiety and fear, as the four slowly turned to face Big Mac, staring down at them. In turn, Big Mac himself looked at the four with curiosity, sensing some familiarity from the four.

"Do I know of any of you?" Big Mac asked with suspicion, arching an eyebrow.

Brian, Gumball, Darwin and Anais nervously looked at another, uncertain how to answer his question. One wrong move and Big Mac will certainly recognized them, chasing them away from the academy and thus ruining their plan. The four had to think of a very good excuse and fast.

"I'm waiting." says Big Mac, his arms crossed and becoming impatient by the four's silence.

After what seems to be a long time, Gumball, with great reluctance, answered Big Mac's question.

"You see, Mr. Big Mac sir, we're new to the academy and we were just discussing how we're going to have a great time. Isn't that right everyone?"

In response, Brian, Darwin and Anais nodded their head in agreement, hoping their quick response was enough to convince the lean, muscular toad. Big Mac continued to look at them, still suspicious by their actions, much to Brian's discomfort.

'_Oh man! Don't look at us like that! Just say something!'_

After what seems like forever, Big Mac sighed and shook his head, before he eventually gave his response to the four.

"Alright you little munchkins, I'll let this one slide just this once."

Gumball, Darwin, Anais and Brian felt a wave of relief swept all over their body. They were lucky that Big Mac didn't catch on to their actions.

"But next time I spot any of you, I expect to see a hall pass or it's off to detention." warned Big Mac.

The four nervously nodded their head in agreement, before they quickly dashed right into the main building, as Big Mac looked on with suspicion. But this wasn't the place nor the time for such thinking right now. He still needs to be vigilant and keep a sharp eye for trespassers before PE began.

'_There's something familiar about those four, but I just can't seem to know why.'_ Big Mac thought, before he resumes patrolling the academy, all the while still pondering about the presence of four unfamiliar students.

* * *

"That was a close one, you guys." says Brian, as he attempts to regain his composure. "It looks like Big Mac didn't know who we are."

"Let's make sure it stays that way Brian." Gumball responded, as he nervously looked behind. "I think we were just lucky that meathead didn't go through with his threat."

"Don't worry about it Gumball." Anais assured, attempting to calm her brother down. "Like I said earlier, we just have to keep everything to ourselves, help Brian locate this girl and we'll be out of our way. Isn't that right Darwin?"

Expecting to hear a response from the two-legged fish, Anais was surprise to receive nothing but silence from her brother, much to the child prodigy's confusion.

"Darwin, what's wrong?" Anais asked, before she confronted the two-legged fish, alongside Gumball and Brian. Much to their surprise, Darwin was struck with astonishment, looking in front of the hallway for some reason.

"Why are you giving us the silent treatment and what's with that look?" Gumball inquired Darwin.

In response, Darwin pointed to the hallway in front of him, prompting the trio to comply and looked at his direction, causing all of them to express the same astonishment as Darwin. None of them couldn't believe what they were just seeing right now.

Never in their young lives have they seen so many students all over the place, busily heading out from one classroom to another, while some have taken a quick break to talk with their fellow peers in the hallway. In a way, Elmore Academy was almost similar to their school, but much larger and far more hectic than they ever imagined.

'_Wow!'_ Brian thought, still amazed by the scenery in front of him. _'I've never expected this place to be so packed.'_

As Brian continues to gaze upon the scene, he noticed a familiar figure among the crowd. Curious by this discovery, Brian squinted his eyes as hard as he could, before confirming his suspicion: it was Rhonda Paxton, down the hallway and talking with a group of students, consisting of a parrot, a rose and a peach. The unexpected discovery was enough to make the purple fox very happy.

"There she is, you guys!" Brian exclaimed, as he pointed to Rhonda's position, prompting the Watterson siblings to look at his direction. Upon setting their gaze on Rhonda, the trio was very surprised by her presence, especially Gumball and Darwin.

"Wow Brian, you were right." Gumball spoke with astonishment. "She really does exist."

"No kidding" Darwin added. "She looks exactly like the drawing we saw on your sketchbook yesterday."

"Sorry we ever doubted you to begin with." Anais apologized.

"That's what I've been trying to you guys the entire time." says Brian. "But let's not argue for the moment. Right now, let's get to her and introduced ourselves."

With that, Brian, along with the Watterson siblings, proceeded to make their way in the hallway, all the while attempting to avoid bumping into any oncoming students in their paths. But halfway towards to Rhonda and her friends, Brian suddenly bumped into what appears to be a hard object, causing him and his friends to fell on the floor.

"Well, what do we have here?" asked a voice with a mocking tone.

As soon as Gumball, Darwin, Anais and Brian manage to regain their composure, the four got a full glimpse of the individual standing right in front of them. He is a tall, young bear, with red fur, a strand of hair curled upwards and wearing the same school uniform Brian, Gumball and Darwin were wearing. Needless to say, his presence left the four feel very uncomfortable.

"Look, we're sorry for bumping into you." Brian nervously apologized. "But we're really in a big hurry right now, so we'd best be on our way."

Before Brian and the Watterson siblings could walk away, the red bear put his paw right in front of the four, prompting them to stop right in their tracks.

"Don't be in such a rush." The red bear casually spoke. "Besides, that's no way to greet a fellow student, now is it?"

In response, all four, with great reluctance, nodded their heads in agreement, before the red bear resumed talking.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name's Ivan Thompson and let me make you guys feel very comfortable." The red bear then snapped his finger and all of a sudden, three students, consisting of broccoli, a mole and a bat, showed up out of nowhere, well prepared and ready for command.

"So what do you need for us, Ivan?" the broccoli asked with a New Jersey accent.

"Just a demonstration on how I greet my fellow students at Elmore Academy, Joey." Ivan replied.

"Gotcha Ivan." Joey says, before he, along with his two friends, dashed right around the corner. A few seconds, the three returned with another student, a humanoid covered in green fur, as he nervously looks at Ivan.

"H-h-how's today g-g-going for y-y-you?" the green fur humanoid asked.

"I'm doing fine so far." Ivan replied, before he picked up the green fur humanoid. "What about you? Are you feeling fine today?"

Before the green fur humanoid could say anything, Ivan suddenly opened up a nearby locker and quickly stuffed the unfortunate student, shutting the locker door with one quick swift of his paw, much to his and his friend's amusement.

As Ivan and his cohorts were laughing with great delight, Gumball, Darwin, Anais and Brian, shocked and in disbelief, couldn't believed what they had just witnessed. This is how Ivan greets his fellow students, by stuffing them into lockers for no apparent reason other than getting a laugh out of it? That was inexcusable! Needless to say, none of them were amused by the red bear's action.

"What the flip did you do that for?!" Brian shouted, causing Ivan and his friends to stop laughing, before confronting the purple fox.

"You and your friends have a problem with that?" Ivan asked with indifference. "Besides, I don't see what the big deal is all about."

"The big deal is that you've intentionally stuffed another kid in the locker for no reason, other than getting a laugh out of it! What kind of person would do that to another individual?! Is that how you always 'greet' people?!"

Ivan, along with his cohorts, were stunned that someone like Brian would actually stood up and expressed how he feels right in their face. Likewise, Gumball, Darwin and Anais were equally surprised by their friend's action and demeanor; they had never expected Brian to react with such anger. Once the shock wore off, Ivan looked at the purple fox with some interests.

"You've got guts, I'll give you that." Ivan then picked up Brian by the collar, pressing the fox's face on his own. "In fact, you have the dubious honor of getting your first taste at Elmore Academy."

"Put him down right now, Ivan!" shouted a feminine voice.

Ivan stopped what he was doing with Brian and looked down, spotting Rhonda standing right next to him, as she glared at the red bear, displeased by his action.

"Oh Rhonda…I didn't notice you were there." Ivan suddenly greeted the mouse in a friendly demeanor. "I was just…um, trying to give this fellow a nice warm welcome, that's all."

Rhonda, however, rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed by Ivan's response, before she angrily stared at the red bear once more.

"I'll say this one more time. Put him down right now Ivan."

Despite some hesitation, Ivan complied with the mouse's request, as he puts Brian down to the ground, before Gumball, Darwin and Anais quickly came to the fox's aide.

"Are you alright?" Gumball asked, concerned for his friend's wellbeing.

"I'm good, but I do feel slightly dizzy." Brian replied, attempting to regain his composure.

Meanwhile, as Ivan looked nervously at Rhonda, scratching his head sheepishly, the red bear noticed that the mouse continued to glare at him, much to his confusion.

"What?" Ivan asked, prompting Rhonda to point to the locker next to him. It didn't took Ivan long to realized what she wanted out of him. Reluctantly, Ivan opened the locker, picked up the green fur humanoid and put him down on the ground, who responded by fleeing around the corner of the hallway, screaming for dear life. Rhonda shook her head in dismay by this, before she confronted Ivan once again.

"Do you really have to do this to everyone you meet?"

"Oh, I wouldn't be too worried about him." Ivan casually replied. "He'll get over it."

Rhonda rolled her eyes, still not impressed by Ivan's response. How could he behave in such a manner and not express any regret for such behavior? As much as Rhonda wanted to dwell in such thought, there are four new kids that needs help adjusting to their new surrounding and arguing with Ivan would only waste her time.

"If you don't mind Ivan…" Rhonda spoke, as she made her way to the four students. "I'll try to make them feel welcome here at Elmore Academy."

"Um, yeah…you do that Rhonda." Ivan mumbled, before he and his friends walked to the opposite direction of the hallway. Once Ivan and his gang, Rhonda turned her attention to Brian and the Watterson siblings with great concern.

"Are you four alright?" Rhonda asked. "I hope Ivan wasn't giving you guys that much trouble."

"We're good, thank you for asking." Brian assured the mouse, his face blushed slightly and rubbing his arm sheepishly. "But man, he's quite strong."

"No kidding." Gumball noted. "It looked like he really wanted to go out of his way to 'greet' you."

"I'm sorry you guys have to start the day off like that." says Rhonda. "Ivan always does that to every student he meets and makes up one excuse after another whenever he gets caught doing it."

"We're just glad that you came by or the situation would have really turned ugly." says Darwin.

"We really owe you on that one Rhonda." Anais added.

"Oh it was nothing, but thanks anyway." said Rhonda, scratching her head sheepishly, before she focused her attention on to Brian, much to the fox's discomfort.

'_Oh no…"_ Brian thought, slightly panicked as the mouse continued to stare at him. _'Did she manage to find out who I am, even with these glasses on?'_

At that moment, Rhonda noticed Brian's discomfort, prompting her to slightly backing away from the fox, before speaking right back to him.

"I'm sorry about that." Rhonda apologized. "It's just that, you reminded me of someone I met. Come to think of it, I don't think I got your name yet."

Brian was relieved that Rhonda didn't see through his disguise. At the same time, however, he didn't want to reveal himself right away and the last thing he wanted was to getting himself in an awkward situation with Rhonda. He needed to think of a good name…and fast!

"Oh that's easy, Rhonda…" Darwin suddenly talked. "His name is-"

Suddenly, Darwin found his mouth covered by Brian's paw, before the purple fox quickly finished the two-legged fish's sentence.

"My name is Harry Caulfield." Brian introduced himself, before letting go of his friend's mouth. "And you've already met Gumball, Darwin and Anais Watterson."

Rhonda looked at Brian, suspicious of his actions, as the purple fox looked on nervously. After what seemed to be forever, Rhonda smiled, accepting 'Harry's' answer.

"It's nice to meet every one of you." says Rhonda. "Anyway, the bell is about to ring anytime soon. I'll take you guys to first period right away."

"Lead the way, by all means." Brian, or rather "Harry", responded dreamily, before he and the Watterson siblings followed the mouse to the nearest classroom.

Unbeknownst to them, Ivan poked his head from the corner of the hallway, looking at the purple fox suspiciously. Noticing the disguised fox looking at Rhonda in a trance-like state, the red bear growled, disgusted that some new kid has developed romantic feelings for the mouse.

"_Like I'm going to let you get closer to a girl like Rhonda.'_ Ivan thought.

* * *

**3 hours later…**

The school bell rang just in time, as the afternoon had finally arrived. Every student from their classroom left, making their way towards to the cafeteria. Among the very large group were Gumball, Darwin, Anais, 'Harry' and Rhonda, having gotten through with the latest lesson, though the purple fox and his friends were overwhelmed from today's subject.

"I can't believe we manage to get through to algebra." Darwin exclaimed, raising his arms in astonishment. "I really wasn't prepared for something like that."

"I can't argue you with that, buddy." Gumball agreed with Darwin's statement. "I'm just that it's over."

"I don't know, you guys." Anais started to talk. "I think it was quite simple, even if it was difficult on some parts."

"That's because you have a genius IQ sis." Gumball pointed out.

"Still, it did felt like a challenge." says Anais. "What do you think, Rhonda?"

"It wasn't that bad, to be honest." Rhonda replied. "But like you said, it did felt challenging. Harry, what do you think?"

As Rhonda turned around to hear the fox's answer, the mouse was puzzled at Harry's demeanor. For some strange reason, Harry was looking at her in an almost trance-like state, much to Rhonda's confusion. At the same time, Harry's mannerism reminded Rhonda of another individual, but she decided it was not the right time to think about it. Her main concern was Harry Caulfield himself.

"Harry, are you alright?"

The moment Rhonda asked 'Harry', the purple fox was shook back into reality. Quickly realizing what he was doing, Brian rubbed his head sheepishly and laughed nervously in response, much to Rhonda's relief.

"Sorry about that Rhonda. I wasn't really paying any attention at all. What was it that you were asking?"

Before Rhonda could say anything, Ivan unexpectedly appeared, rudely shoving "Harry" down on the ground, much to the shock of both Rhonda and the Watterson siblings.

"Harry!" they all shouted, before the Watterson siblings came to "Harry's" aide. Rhonda also attempted to help get the fox off the ground, but before she could, Ivan stood right in front of her, ignoring what was occurring and attempted to casually talk to the mouse, much to her anger.

"So Rhonda…" Ivan started to talk. "Do you to hang out in my place after school?"

"Ivan, what's wrong with you?!" Rhonda demanded. "Harry could have been seriously injured!"

"Gee…I didn't even know he was there to begin with." Ivan replied, feigning pity for the fox.

While Rhonda found herself dealing with Ivan, Gumball, Darwin and Anais helped Brian backed on his feet, still shaken from the bear's earlier action.

"Dude, are you alright?" Gumball asked Brian, as he and siblings help the purple fox regained his composure.

"Aside from a slight bump on the head, I'm alright." Brian responded, before he spotted Ivan attempting to chat with a rather angry Rhonda. Displeased by this, Brian dashed right in front of Ivan, surprising the red bear with such speed.

"Rhonda and I were having a chat of our own until you rudely interrupted it."

"You have a problem with that?" Ivan asked with displeasure, as he glared at the fox.

"As a matter of fact, I do." Brian answered, returning a glare of his own at the bear.

While the two continued to glare at one another, Rhonda, as well as the Watterson siblings, could felt the tension rising between 'Harry' and Ivan. The four looked at one another, uncertain what was going on between the two, but whatever it is, they know fully well that they have to calm both of them down, before things goes from bad to worse.

* * *

It had been a very long day for Big Mac, as he continued to patrol the school grounds, looking for any trespassers he could disposed of, before it was time for him to head back to the gym, intending to shape up the academy's out of shape students by any means necessary.

As he continued to patrol the school grounds, the well-built toad couldn't help but think about those four students he saw this morning. Something about them seemed off, but he couldn't be certain whether his intuition was right or wrong. Still, it was hard to ignore his instincts about those four and Big Mac just couldn't let this one slide.

'_I wonder…'_ Big Mac thought with suspicion, before he turned to the opposite direction, making his way towards the main building. Whoever those four students, he intended to find out who they really are.

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 13-The Mouse: Part 3_

_While Brian becomes the target of Ivan's wrath, Big Mac gets one step closer to finding out about him and his friends. Meanwhile, Gumball and Darwin find themselves in a situation of their own when Ivan sends his gang after them._

**Tidbits**

**-When I first came up with a rival for Brian, I intended for Ivan to be very different from Tobias. Unlike him, Ivan is much more of a physical threat, one who wouldn't hesitate to use his fists if he has to.**

**-Just like some of my OCs, I visualized how the character will sound like, based on their personality and mannerism. For Ivan, I visualized Joshua Lebar (who voiced Flash Thompson on the short-lived Spectacular Spider-Man) voicing him.**

**-The main inspiration of Ivan came from three different characters: Flash Thompson (for his aggressiveness), Roger Klotz (for his narcissism) and Groose (for his ego).**

**-Just in case anyone hasn't figured it out, the alias that Brian used to re-introduce himself to Rhonda came from two characters: ****Harry**** Potter and Jack ****Caulfield**** (the main character from Catcher in the Rye).**

**Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter as much as I do. It was quite challenging, but hopefully, I could get Part 3 & 4 done without any delays.**

**Thanks for reading and see ya next chapter!**

**PS-Merry Christmas!**


	13. The Mouse: Part 3

**It's been a long while since I last wrote part 2 of "The Mouse", but this chapter proved to be a bit difficult then I ever imagined. One of the main reasons for this is because I wanted this chapter to be a build up for the final part of "The Mouse" arc. That and I was pretty much occupied during the holidays. Plus, my beta had to get his computer replaced, which is why this chapter took so long**.

**Thankfully, I was finally able to get the direction I wanted for this chapter, thanks to some good suggestions from Sal.**

**Also, I wanted to thank EvelioandZgroup for correcting me about the tidbits section in the last chapter. It was actually Holden Caulfield, not Jack (It's been a long while, so of course I would make a simple error like that). Again, I thank him for pointing that minor error out.**

**Now that I have that out of the way, please enjoy chapter and hope you enjoyed it.**

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 13-The Mouse: Part 3

The afternoon had finally arrived at Elmore Academy, as every student left their classes to head out to the cafeteria, whether it was to savor today's meals or simply to chat with one another. But down the hallway, a certain purple fox and red bear glared at one another like dogs, ready for the opportunity to strike one another at any given moment.

Not so long ago, Brian, or 'Harry', was rudely shoved to the ground by Ivan, just because he was chatting with Rhonda. It also didn't help that the red bear had feelings for the mouse, a fact that Brian would not tolerate at all. Both boys continued to glare at one another, neither making a move towards the other. With their fists tightening with each gripped, it appeared that either of them was about to make the first strike when…

"Alright, you two, that's enough!" Rhonda shouted.

Before they know it, the mouse appeared in front of the two, slightly pushing both Brian and Ivan away from one another, before she turned around to confront the red bear about his earlier action.

"Ivan, what you did to Harry was wrong. You could have gotten him seriously injured. Has that ever crossed your mind?" Rhonda then turned to confront the purple fox, regarding his own action against the red bear.

"Harry, you could have gotten yourself injured. Do you want to end up in the nurse's office?"

'Harry' and Ivan attempted to give Rhonda an explanation about their action, but the mouse's stern expression made it clear she wasn't in the mood. After several seconds of thinking, the two boys, unable to come up with a single excuse, simply put their heads down, realizing just how upset Rhonda was at them.

Rhonda, though relieved that the situation didn't get worse, sighed, before she resumed talking to 'Harry' and Ivan once more.

"Now, I want you two to apologize to one another, please." Rhonda insisted.

Both 'Harry' and Ivan looked at each other and in spite some hesitation from both of their parts, they sighed with uneasiness, eventually responding to each other.

"…Sorry for causing you trouble."

As soon as they gave the other their reluctant apologies, 'Harry' and Ivan turned their heads around, their arms crossed and expressing dissatisfaction by their own actions. It was clear that they weren't going to be friends anytime soon.

Even though Rhonda expected such an outcome following their apologies, she was still worried, certain that both boys would resume quarreling with one another sooner or later. She was especially worried about 'Harry'; the last time that anyone stood up against Ivan was sent to the nurse's office and ended up being home schooled for the rest of the entire school year.

'_There's got to be a way to make sure that Harry and Ivan would at least respect each other's space.'_ Rhonda thought.

As Rhonda pondered on her next move, she felt a slight tug on the sleeve of her sweater, prompting the mouse to look down and noticed Anais right next to her, sharing the same concern as she was.

"If it'll make you feel better, maybe I could help out."

"What do you have mind?" Rhonda asked.

"We should separate the two as much as possible before they try anything reckless." Anais began explaining. "The least thing we could do is act as buffers before things could get any worse."

"Sounds like a good plan, Anais." Rhonda agreed with the child prodigy. "Say, what about your brothers? Do you think we should ask for their help too?"

Anais turns around and saw Gumball and Darwin walking right towards the cafeteria in a hypnotic-like trance, their faces filled with amazements, before they disappeared into the crowd of large students. After a few seconds, Anais shrugged, before turning to Rhonda once more.

"I wouldn't be too worried about them, Rhonda. Besides, they can take care of themselves. Right now, let's just prevent collateral damages from those two."

Nodding her head in agreement, Rhonda headed towards 'Harry', both with the intent to have a quick chat, as well as distancing him from Ivan.

"Harry, since you and Anais are new around here, why don't I give both of you a tour around Elmore Academy?"

"You really mean it?" 'Harry' happily asked

"Of course Harry." Rhonda replied. "It's the least thing I could do to make up for Ivan's action."

The mouse then turned to Ivan, glaring at the red bear, as he raised his hands up defensively and his eyes widen in response.

"I assure you Rhonda." Ivan finally spoke. "I won't be causing anymore trouble to Harry."

"Are you sure about that Ivan?" Rhonda asked, her eyebrow arched by the red bear's response.

"I promised." Ivan insisted, all the while crossing his fingers behind his back. "Besides, I have to, um, make up some of my homework until the next bell." With that, the red bear turned around and walked off.

Rhonda, meanwhile, was still suspicious of the bear's action; Ivan wasn't known to be a gentle person, let alone honoring promises and yet, just now, he suddenly behaved rather kindly and simply took off without any hesitation. The mouse, however, decided that it neither the right time nor place to think about such thoughts.

"Anyway…" Rhonda began. "Let me show you two around the school until the next bell ring."

Both 'Harry' and Anais nodded their head in agreement, before following Rhonda's lead down the hallway.

As the two are walking down, Ivan, along with his three friends, poked his head from the corner, spying on 'Harry' once more. The red bear growled at the sight of the purple fox; he doesn't know what 'Harry's' next move is going take, but Ivan is willing to make sure that he doesn't make one at all.

"Ivan." Joey talked to the red bear. "Is there anything you want us to do?"

"There is one thing, Joey." Ivan replied "I want you, Ray and Lloyd to keep an eye on Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum in the cafeteria just in case they come looking for their pal."

"You got it Ivan." Joey complied, before he and his buddies headed to the cafeteria, leaving Ivan on his own, intent taking care of the problem all by himself.

* * *

Most of the time, the cafeteria was bustling with students eating their meals or chatting with each other at their table. But today, mostly everyone stopped what they were doing and focused their attention to a certain blue feline and a two-legged fish, their trays filled with a ridiculous pile of food on the table, as they began to madly devour them one-by-one.

Not so long ago, Gumball and Darwin, entranced by the aroma coming from the cafeteria, immediately dashed right into the large area, randomly picking off one of each food they could put on their tray, before locating the nearest table to sit at.

"Oh man." Gumball delightfully says, as he took a bite from a slice of pizza. "I never thought food this good even exists at all."

"I know what you mean Gumball." Darwin eagerly agreed, taking a bite out of a bread roll. "I just wish this would never end."

The two then continued to eat their meals like there was no tomorrow, ignoring the indifferences and disgusts from the students that continued to watch this unusual sight. But halfway through the pile of foods, both Gumball and Darwin felt a slight tap on their shoulder, prompting the two to stop eating and turned around to see Joey, along with his bat and mole friends, standing right in front of them.

"Enjoying your day so far?" Joey asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"We're good. Thanks for asking." Darwin happily responded.

"Glad to hear that." says Joey, before he and his friends leaned slightly closer to the duo. "If you two want to keep it that way, then I suggest you dweebs hand over half of your meals or else."

Gumball and Darwin nervously looked at one another, uncertain how to respond to the broccoli's demand. If they make the wrong decision, there was no doubt what Joey and his pals will do to them. What they need is a good plan…and luck.

"Gumball…" Darwin whispered to his brother. "What should we do?"

"I honestly don't know, buddy" Gumball whispered back. "But, I do know one way out of this mess."

"You do?" asked Darwin.

"Yeah, but trust me on this." The two boys then turned to face Joey and his pals once more, waiting patiently for a response from either of them.

"You right Joey, we shouldn't suffer a bad day all over a bunch of foods, but before we hand over our lunch, let me just say…FOOD FIGHT!"

Suddenly, Gumball grabbed a cream pie and threw it right onto Joey's face, prompting every student to grab and throw their own meals at one another in the cafeteria. In the ensuing chaos that follow, Gumball grabbed Darwin's flipper and quickly crawled away from the scene as fast as they could, disappearing from the bullies' sights.

"Duh…are you alright Joey?" the mole asked the broccoli with concerned.

"What do you think, Lloyd?!" Joey snapped at the mole, wiping the remains of the pie off of his face.

"To be honest, I didn't actually expect that cat to pull such a move on you." The bat commented.

"Save the smart talk for later, Ray. Now come on, we've got to teach those knuckleheads a lesson!"

With that in mind, Joey and his buddies ran out of the cafeteria, avoiding every piece of food that was thrown all over the place, as they went into the hallway, determine to find the blue feline and his fish friend and teach them a lesson they'll never forget.

* * *

For the last several minutes, Rhonda had continued to show both 'Harry' and Anais around Elmore Academy and the two couldn't believe what this school had to offer. Although they were familiar with the usual setups back at Elmore Junior High, the subjects that they were teaching were quite advance, from calculus to agriculture. Even more amazing, they learn that the academy had a strict guideline regarding schedules. How the students managed to balance their time was beyond their comprehension.

"I'm surprised that I haven't seen anyone cracked under such pressure." says 'Harry'.

"Now that you mention it, they seem to be handling the situation just fine." Anais noted.

"I'll admit, things can get very complicated when you're not familiar with the routine." Rhonda began explaining. "But after some trial and errors, you get use to it."

As Rhonda was explaining to the duo about the academy's schedule, 'Harry' unexpectedly tripped, prompting both the mouse and Anais to help the purple fox up to his feet.

"Are you alright?" a concerned Rhonda asked.

"Yeah, I'm alright." assured 'Harry'. "But what just happened?"

"Oops." a voice spoke with a snide tone.

'Harry', Rhonda and Anais turned around and saw Ivan leaning on the locker, expressing a smug grin on his face. It didn't take too long for either of them to realize what had occurred and 'Harry' wasn't pleased by the bear's intention.

'_So that's your game, Ivan. Well, two could play at that.'_ Brian then spotted a vending machine just a few inches away, giving him a good idea in the process.

"Excuse me for just a moment." says 'Harry', as he made his way towards the vending machine, putting a few quarters in it and pressed one of the button. A few seconds later, a soda can popped out of the vendor, before 'Harry' grabbed it and unexpectedly, walked right towards to Ivan, much to the bear's confusion.

"You look like you needed a drink, so I figure I should save you the trouble to go get one myself."

Ivan looked at the purple fox, suspicious by his action. Why would 'Harry' behave like that after tripping him on purpose? The last thing he was expecting was a kind gesture out of this. Still, he had to admit, that was very kind of 'Harry' to give him a free soda.

"I don't know what you're up to, but since I do feel a bit thirsty, I'll let this one slide." Ivan informed 'Harry', before he snatched the soda out of the fox's paw. As soon as the bear took the soda from 'Harry', the purple fox immediately ran towards Rhonda and Anais, grabbed both of their hands, before disappearing around the corner with them.

Ignoring the fox's action, Ivan pulled the tab from the soda can when, almost immediately, a gush of soda splashed onto his face in a matter of seconds, before slowly dispersing itself. As the red bear wiped some of the soda off of his face, shocked by what had occurred, it didn't took Ivan too long to realize 'Harry's' intention. Needless to say, the bear could feel the anger simmering inside of him; how dare that fox made a complete fool out of him. There was no way he's going to let this one slide.

"That furball is going to pay for that!" Ivan vowed to himself, determined to track 'Harry' down.

* * *

Normally for Big Mac, he would be patrolling outside of the academy for almost the entire afternoon, until the next bell, at which point, he would head to the gym to begin PE. Instead, the muscular gym teacher was roaming inside the academy, looking for four certain kids, especially that glasses-wearing purple fox. Something about them seemed off and Big Mac was determined to get to bottom of this.

'_When I find those munchkins, I'm going to get some answers right out of their-'_

In the middle of his thought, Big Mac suddenly felt a strong force striking him from behind, nearly tumbling in the process. Once he regained his composure, the muscular toad turned around and right in front of him, was three kids: a broccoli, a mole and a bat. It didn't take too long for the muscular toad to realize who they were.

"Joey, care to explain why you and your buddies are in such a hurry?" asked Big Mac.

"Oh, um, sorry for rudely bumping into Big Mac sir." the broccoli sheepishly replied. "But we were just searching for a...few acquaintances of ours. Isn't that right, guys?"

Both Lloyd and Ray shook their head in response, hoping it would be enough to please their gym teacher. Big Mac, meanwhile, continued to look at them, uncertain what to make of their answer. Then, it hit him on the head.

"Would these 'acquaintances' happen to be a cat and a fish with two legs?"

"H-h-how did you know?" a shocked Joey asked.

"To be honest, it was just a wild guess." Big Mac replied. "All I do know is that I'm searching for them and two of their friends and since you three are familiar with one of them, I might as well tag along with you."

"Sure, whatever you say, Big Mac." says Joey.

"So, any bright ideas on where that cat and his fish friend are?" asked Ray.

While Big Mac, Joey and his pals began their discussion regarding them, just several inches away from them, in the janitor's closet, Gumball and Darwin cracked the door slightly open, spying on the four, before quietly closing the door, stunned by how unfortunate their situation has become.

Shortly after making a quick getaway from the cafeteria, both Gumball and Darwin tried to find several places to hide from Joey and his pals, though it was easier said than done. The lockers were too small for both of them to fit in, some of the classrooms were still occupied by students and teachers and the gym was all but locked from the inside. Luckily for them, the janitor's closet was big enough to lay low for a while, but it would be a matter of time before their pursuers would find their hiding spot.

"Gumball, what are we going to do?" Darwin asked, his head sweating with fear and anxiety.

"I don't know, buddy." Gumball replied. "All I do know is that we have to lay low, find Brian and Anais and get out of this place. But most of all, we cannot make a single sound. Understand Darwin?"

Darwin nodded his head, agreeing with his brother. A few seconds later, however, the two-legged fish belched out loudly, causing the room to slightly rumble. Shortly afterwards, both Gumball and Darwin could hear several footsteps coming towards their way, no doubt alerted by his friend's action.

"Darwin!" an annoyed Gumball shouted at his friend.

"I couldn't help myself, Gumball." says Darwin, as he covered his face in shame. "Their foods were so finger-licking good. I even bought an apple on our way out." The two-legged fish then showed his brother the fruit on his flipper.

"This is no time to talk about food! We need to find Brian and Anais and get the flip out of here!"

With that in mind, Gumball, with Darwin by his side, quickly opened the closet door with such force, accidentally knocking down their pursuers in the process. Stunned by what had occurred, Gumball and Darwin looked at the unconscious group, concerned for their wellbeing.

"Um…is everyone alright?" asked Gumball.

"Gumball, I don't think that's such a good idea." Darwin warned his feline brother.

"Lighten up, Darwin. I'm sure that at least one of them had loosened up."

Suddenly, Big Mac raised his head, his bruised face showing a rather angry expression right towards to the duo.

"You little munchkins are in so much trouble!"

Gumball and Darwin yelped, before quickly making a mad dash out of the muscular toad's sight, knowing full well that sooner or later, he, as well as Ivan's gang, would recovered long enough to resume their chase.

* * *

'Harry', along with Rhonda and Anais, found themselves at another section of the academy, with the purple fox trying to catch his breath, after he ran with his all his might away from Ivan. The purple fox wasn't certain whether the red bear was bright or not to react and he rather not stick around and find out for himself.

'_Phew, that was a close one.'_ thought 'Harry', before he looked behind his back, hoping Ivan was right behind him.

As soon as 'Harry' managed to regain his composure, he turned around to find Rhonda staring at him, puzzled by his earlier actions.

"Harry, what was that about?" the mouse asked.

"Oh, um...I apologized for my actions earlier, Rhonda…" 'Harry' began to explain, his face slightly blushing. "It's just that I wasn't so sure how long we have left until the next bell, so I figure that we should at least get to the important part of the tour."

"Are you sure that was your intention?" asked Anais.

"What makes you say that?" the purple fox asked, confused by the child prodigy's question.

In response, Anais simply pointed across the hallway, where much to 'Harry's' dismay, was a rather enraged Ivan, his face still dripping with leftover sodas. Whatever Ivan planned to do to him, he was certain that it wasn't going to be pleasant.

"You have a lot of nerve to do that to me!" Ivan shouted, as he slowly walked his way towards to the purple fox. The moment Ivan said that, Rhonda turned to 'Harry', who only responded by chuckling rather nervously.

"You know, I was going to be a bit easy on you before the bell…" Ivan continued to talk, still slowly approaching the uncomfortable fox. "But now, you made me change my mind and nothing is going to stop me from-"

As Ivan was about to finish his sentence after reaching the halfway point in the hallway, out of nowhere, a blue of blue and orange dashed right passed him, prompting the red bear to stop in his track, before the mysterious figures stopped right in front of 'Harry', Rhonda and Anais. It didn't took too long for Ivan to recognize them as the same blue cat and two-legged fish that went into the cafeteria. Then, it hit him.

'_If those two are here in the hallway, then where are tho-'_

Suddenly, Ivan found himself tackled to the ground by Joey and his two friends from behind, knocking both him and themselves completely unconscious in the process.

While Ivan and his gang were lying on the floor completely unconscious, 'Harry', stunned to see this unexpected turn of event, confronted Gumball and Darwin, puzzled by their unexpected appearance in the hallway.

"Guys, what are you two doing here?" the fox asked his friends.

"Listen, we got no time to explain…" Gumball started to talk. "Big Mac is coming around the corner and-"

"Did you say Big Mac?" Rhonda asked, cutting the feline's words.

Before Gumball could say anything else, all five of them could hear footsteps coming around the corner, getting increasingly louder by the minute, only stopping the moment Big Mac had spotted all five of them in the hallway. As soon as the muscular toad spotted the four mysterious students, especially the glasses-wearing purple fox, something hit him.

"Now I remember!" Big Mac shouted, as he made his way towards the group, prompting all four to yelp, including Darwin, causing him to toss his apple up in the air, while Rhonda stood there, equally surprised by the toad's behavior.

"There's a good reason why I don't recognize any of you munchkins at all. You four are actually-" Before Big Mac could finish his sentence, the same apple Darwin was holding earlier landed right inside the toad's mouth, lodging itself in the throat. Shocked and panicked by this, Big Mac clung onto his throat, gasping for air. Likewise, 'Harry', as well as everyone, was equally stunned by this, until the silence was broken by Rhonda herself.

"Guys, we got to do something!" the mouse shouted.

"Rhonda's right." Anais agreed. "We got to help him out before he chokes to death."

"How are we going to do that?" asked Gumball.

"That's simple…" Anais began explaining. "You, me, Darwin and Rhonda will hold Big Mac's arms, while Harry will give him a Heimlich maneuver to dislodge the apple from his throat."

"Wait a minute, Anais. Why do you want me to do it?" the fox asked.

Before the child prodigy could say anything, Big Mac continued to cough, desperately gasping for air, as he pathetically attempted to give himself a Heimlich maneuver, to no avail.

"There's no time for arguing. We got to help him right now." says Anais.

Nodding his head in agreement, 'Harry' came to Big Mac's aide, grasping his arms around his stomach, while, Gumball, Darwin, Anais and Rhonda each grabbed a hold onto the toad's arm, holding them as tight as they could. Once everyone was in placed, 'Harry' then proceeded to give Big Mac the Heimlich maneuver as hard as he could, a feat the proved to be easier said than done.

'_Geez louise, is his body made of steel?'_

Despite this unexpected discovery, 'Harry' continued to perform the move and after what seemed to be a long time, he finally managed to get the apple out of Big Mac's mouth, leaving the toad exhausted and barely conscious, much to everyone's relief, glad that they managed to save the toad's life just in time.

"What is going on around here?!" a feminine voice shouted with sternness, prompting all five to turn around and saw the individual standing right in front of them. The individual is a fish like Darwin, but unlike him, she is a great white shark, with a fin on top of her head. She appeared to be middle-aged and she had a slender, humanoid figure. She also was wearing a red business suit and black high-heeled pump.

As the five stood in their tracks, unable to come up with any answer, Big Mac managed to get himself up on his knees, before facing the individual right in front of him, preparing to give her an answer of his own.

"Principal Pauline, thank goodness you're here. That purple fox and his friends are not students. They're trespassers!"

A wave of shock soon spread towards the four, especially 'Harry', or rather Brian, while Rhonda looked at them, stunned and speechless by Big Mac's accusation. With their disguises fully exposed, there was only one thing Brian and the Watterson siblings could think of.

'_It's all over.'_

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 14-The Mouse: Part 4_

_With their covers completely exposed, Brian learns that the only way they could escape punishment is that he and his friends must participate in a game of dodge ball against Ivan and his gang._

**Tidbits**

**-Doing this chapter proved to be a lot difficult then I thought it would be, so I was forced to cut a few lines and scenes to make progress. I'll admit, it's not what I imagined for this chapter, but I did what I could.**

**-When Principal Pauline was created, she was intended to be the complete opposite of Principal Brown, at least in appearances. Her personality is expanded on in the next chapter. The OC, of course, is created by Truth of Chaos and as such, I want to give him full credit for that.**

**-Originally, before the creation of Principal Pauline, I envisioned the principal of Elmore Academy to be an old vulture with a pessimistic personality. However, I ended up disliking this OC, mainly because she was too similar to Miss Simian.**

**-As always, whenever an OC is created, I visualized how that character will sound like, based on their personality and mannerisms. For me, it would have been Jane Kaczmarek (Lois from Malcolm in the Middle) while Truth of Chaos suggested Michelle Pfieffer (whose only voiceover role, so far, is Eris in Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas).**

**Hope you guys enjoy this chapter, but before I go, I want to announce the results from the poll regarding "The Newcomer":**

**The Alien: 26%**

**The Nightmare: 21%**

**The Nest: 15%**

**The Record: 15%**

**The Face: 10%**

**The Tree: 1%**

**The Argument: 1%**

**Originally, I was planning on doing all 7 chapters in order once the poll concluded, but I decided that it would be better off working on the chapter with the highest vote. As such, I'll be doing ONLY "The Alien" instead. I might retool "The Nightmare", "The Nest" and "The Record" as side stories in the future, but I'm not so sure. As for "The Face", "The Tree" and "The Argument", they'll be scrapped altogether.**

**I want to say thanks for those who have voted and once I'm done with the final part of "The Mouse", I'll begin working on "The Alien".**

**Thanks for reading and see ya next chapter!**


	14. The Mouse: Part 4

**It's been a long while since last month, but at last, the final part of "The Mouse" is here. I've been waiting for this moment to write this chapter and I finally have the chance.**

**Once again, I wanted to thank Sal for his suggestion on the final part of "The Mouse", as well as Truth of Chaos for creating Principal Pauline.**

**I also wanted to say congrats to the readers as well. I've never imagined that this story would end up getting more than 50 reviews and for that, I really appreciate that.**

**Finally, check out KasualKoopa's "The Adventure of Joelle and Mia" when you have the chance.**

**With that done and said, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 14-The Mouse: Part 4

The principal's office was normally a quiet place for Athena Pauline to sign some documents and hand out discipline to unruly and disruptive students that have broken so many rules around Elmore Academy. But today turned out to be quite different than what she had expected.

Early this afternoon, the muscular gym teacher known as Big Mac bluntly claimed that four students, consisting of a purple fox, blue feline, a two-legged fish and a pink rabbit, were in fact, trespassing on Elmore Academy. Initially, Athena didn't what to make of the toad's claim, but seeing the shocked expression on the four was enough to confirm that Big Mac was telling her the truth. As such, she had the four escorted right into her office and insisted that Big Mac and Rhonda come along as well.

Now here she was, sitting in her seat in her own office and right in front of Athena are the four trespassers, now in their casual outfits, looking nervous due to her presence, while Big Mac and Rhonda stood right next to them, the latter still a bit shock by today's turn of events.

"Just in case any of you four kids are wondering, my name is Athena Pauline, the principal of Elmore Academy." the humanoid shark introduced herself. "I'm not one who tolerates such disrespectful behavior, so I'll cut right to the point. Can either of you explain to me why four kids from Elmore Junior High decided to sneak in a place like Elmore Academy?"

Both Brian and the Watterson siblings nervously looked at one another, uncertain how to answer the principal's question. The way Principal Pauline spoke left chills down their spines; it didn't help that the presence in her office left a cold atmosphere, making them incredibly uncomfortable.

"Well?" Athena asked, narrowing her eyes on the four trespassers, becoming rather impatient by their silence.

For a while, Gumball, Darwin, Anais and Brian looked at one another, hoping that at least one of them would summoned up the courage to answer the shark's question. After what seemed to be like a long time, Brian, looking at his friends with great concern, took a deep breath and finally stepped forth, ready to give an explanation to the principal.

"Um…Principal Pauline…" Brian finally spoke. "If it'll make you feel any better, I'll take full responsibility for today's event."

Athena arched an eyebrow in curiosity the moment the purple fox opened his mouth, while his three friends, as well as Big Mac and Rhonda, looked at him with astonishment.

"Brian, what are you-" Before Gumball could finish his sentence, Darwin put his flipper over his brother's mouth and nodded his head in disagreement, apparently insisting that they should allow Brian to at least talk, before letting go of the feline's mouth.

"Is that so?" Athena asked. "Before you could go any further, I want to at least know your name."

"My name is Brian O'Quinn, ma'am…" Brian introduced himself to the humanoid shark. "…And to answer your question, it all began since yesterday in the morning…"

* * *

**5 Minutes Later…**

"…And that's how it happened." Once Brian finished the entire story to the principal, Athena simply stared at the fox, intrigued by the fox's story, as well as his and his friend's decision to trespassed Elmore Academy to begin with.

"Let me get this straight…" Athena started to talk, as she began filing her nails. "Are you telling me that you and your friends have the audacity to trespass school ground just so you could befriend a girl you only just met yesterday?"

All Brian and the Watterson siblings could do is nod their heads, confirming everything the purple fox had said not so long ago. After a few seconds of silence, Athena resumed talking to the four, as she began filing her nails on her other hand and strangely smiling.

"I'll have to be honest, never in my entire life that I imagined four students from a second-rate school like Elmore Junior High would pull such a stunt such as today and I'll admit, you four have managed to impress me."

"Are you serious, Principal Pauline?!" Big Mac shouted, shocked by the shark's statement. "These four munchkins have violated several rules and you're just going to-"

"Save it, Big Mac." Athena sternly responded, cutting off the toad's word. "You've done your part already, so it's best if you left me do mine."

Once Athena finished her sentence, Big Mac kept his mouth shut, allowing the shark to resume talking once more.

"As I was saying…" Athena began, putting the nail file in her desk, before facing Brian and the Watterson siblings. "I'm quite impressed by what you four manage to do, but that still doesn't change the fact that all of you violated many rules in Elmore Academy, including starting a food fight in the cafeteria."

As soon as Athena brought that incident up, both Gumball and Darwin nervously chuckled, earning them a glare from both Brian and Anais. Fortunately for them, it appeared that Athena didn't took notice by their expression, as she was too busy explaining today's incident.

"Even so, you and your buddies did manage to save Big Mac's life, despite his ungratefulness. Therefore, I am proposing an alternative solution to this unusual dilemma."

Both Brian and the Watterson siblings looked at the shark with incredulous and skepticism, uncertain how to react to the principal's last statement. Their expression didn't go unnoticed by Athena, simply smiling in amusement from the four kids' response.

"I know what you four are thinking, that this is some bluff I'm pulling off, but I assure each and every one of you, I'm genuinely honest with my words. Normally, I would escort you kids out of the premise immediately, but after a day like this, I decided that I'll overlook the incident, just this once."

"What are you getting at, Principal Pauline?" Big Mac questioned Athena.

"You'll find out soon enough, Big Mac." Athena replied. "Now, before I could go any further, perhaps its best if dear Rhonda would like to have a word with you, Mr. O'Quinn."

Brian gulped in response, as anxiety and fear sets in, his head sweating profusely, worried to see Rhonda's reaction to all of this. The purple fox didn't know what to expect from the mouse, but it wouldn't matter at this point. Taking a deep breath, Brian turned around to confront Rhonda, but what he saw wasn't anger on her face, but rather, of disappointment.

"Why didn't you just meet me up at the bike path, Brian?" the mouse asked. "It would have certainly saved you the trouble to begin with."

Brian hesitated for a moment, uncertain how to answer Rhonda's question. After a while, though, the purple fox eventually found the answer to give to her.

"I never thought of the consequence of my own action, Rhonda." Brian replied. "I know it's not much of an answer, but I just wanted to you know that I'm sorry for everything and I accept responsibility for my actions."

"It's too late for an apology, furball." Big Mac spoke rudely to Brian. "I'm looking forward to whatever plans Principal Pauline had in stored for you and your friends."

"Speaking of which…" Athena suddenly spoke. "I'm more than willing to turn a blind eye on the whole incident you four have caused, provided that all of you will accept the alternative solution."

"What's the catch?" Gumball asked, somewhat unconvinced by the shark's statement. Likewise both his siblings and Brian were just as skeptical about Athena's claim as well.

"It's nothing much, my young friend. All you and your friends have to do is just agree with it and I'll just pretend it never happened, simple as that."

As soon as Athena was finished, Brian and the Watterson siblings gathered around, discussing whether they should accept the principal's ultimatum or not. They weren't so sure whether Principal Pauline would keep her promise or not, but considering the situation they were in right now, it was clear they had no saying in the matter. With that in mind, the four turned to Principal Pauline, as she waits patiently for their answer.

"What is it that you're offering, Principal Pauline?"

* * *

Most of the time, the school gym at Elmore Academy would have been filled with students getting reading for another dose of grueling exercises at the hands of Big Mac. But today, Principal Pauline announced that PE was cancelled due to an unexpected renovation. Most of the students were understandably surprised by this, but many decided it was best not to question the surprise announcement and just go on with their day like it always had been.

In actuality, however, the school gym was closed for another different reason. Somehow, Principal Pauline convinced Brian and his friends to participate in a simple game of dodge ball, going up against at least four participants that Big Mac had specifically chosen for them. Unfortunately for them, those participants turned out to be Ivan and his gang and it was clear that they were itching for some payback.

Adding complications to their situation, Principal Pauline decided to exclude Anais from the game, on the grounds that she was too young and as a result, she, along with the principal and Rhonda, are watching the game from the sidelines.

Now, all Brian, Gumball and Darwin is simply stand in their position, their bodies becoming increasingly nervous, while Ivan and his friends were holding onto their dodge balls, ready for some action.

'_I cannot believe we agreed to do this.'_ Gumball, Darwin and Brian thought simultaneously, as Big Mac marched back and forth in the gym, preparing to give out instruction.

"Alright, you munchkins, listen up! I'm going to say this once, so you better pay attention to what I have to say!" Big Mac then turned his attention to a training dummy, before he grabbed the nearest dodge ball from the basket.

"The rule of the game is simple: engage, locked and throw the dodge ball at the nearest target!" says Big Mac, before he threw the dodge ball towards the dummy, removing its head in the process, much to the shock of Brian and the Watterson brothers.

"What the flip was that?!" Gumball shouted.

Big Mac, however, ignored the blue feline's comment about his throw, as he resumed his instructions once more.

"As I was saying, whoever could knock the other team down is the winner. Does anyone have something to say? No? Then, in that case, let the games begin."

With that said, Big Mac heads right towards the bleacher to sit down on, planning to gleefully watch the game unfold, while Brian, Gumball and Darwin nervously watched Ivan and his friends, their faces giving off a smug expression, as they prepared to make the first move.

"I've been waiting a long time for this, furball." says Ivan, before him and with his friends threw the dodge ball right at Brian, Gumball and Darwin.

Startled by the red bear's throw, Brian, as well as Gumball and Darwin, managed to dove to the right, barely avoiding the dodge balls thrown right at them. But their lucky maneuver was short lived, however, as soon as the dodge balls bounced right back to Ivan and his friends and before long, they prepared for another throw right at the trio. Soon, panicked and fear began to express itself, as Brian and the Watterson brothers began to run around the gym, screaming for their lives, all the while dodging a barrage of dodge balls from Ivan and his gang.

While the trio where trying to survive with all of their might and luck, back on the bleachers, Principal Pauline, Rhonda, Anais and Big Mac watched the game unfold right in front of them. Rhonda and Anais, in particular, were clearly worried for the boys' well beings.

"Principal Pauline, you need to stop this right away!" Rhonda demanded. "They're going to suffer serious injuries if Ivan and his friends keep this up!"

"Rhonda's right." says Anais, agreeing with the mouse. "Brian and my brothers are getting creamed right there. At this rate, they'll get more than a concussion on the head."

"I wouldn't be too worried about it." Athena responded with indifference. "Besides, your fox friend and your brothers did accept my term and as such, I won't go back on my words."

"But-" was all Rhonda could say, before Big Mac cut her off.

"But nothing; it was his fault that got him into this mess in the first place. If he and those two munchkins want to get out of this, they'll have to earn it."

As soon as Big Mac finished his statement, he returned his attention towards the game, watching it with a smirk, while Athena looked on with indifference. Rhonda and Anais, on the other hand, continued to watch the game with helplessness and prayed that Brian, Gumball and Darwin could somehow survive and win this game, despite the odds stacking against them.

'_Come on, you guys. I know you could do this.'_ Rhonda and Anais thought simultaneously.

Back at the game, Brian, Gumball and Darwin, despite suffering some bruises and minor injuries, somehow managed to evade most of the dodge balls from Ivan and his gang, before diving behind a couple of trash cans for defense. As Ivan and his friends continued to clobber the trash cans with no end in sight, the trio looked at one another, clearly frightened by their experiences, uncertain about their next move.

"Oh man, this is nuts! That Ivan guy is like Tobias, only he's big and he could really cream us!" Gumball exclaimed. "We really need to take him and his pals down, Darwin!"

"How are we going do that, Gumball?" Darwin questioned his brother. "There's no way we could take them head on and at this rate, we'll never even make it out of here alive!"

"That's why we need to outsmart them instead, Darwin." Brian pointed out. "The only question is how do we pull it off? I've got nothing at the moment, but we need a solution and fast."

As Brian pondered on what to do, his thoughts were quickly interrupted when one of the dodge balls knocked the lids down, with one landing on top of the fox's head. As Brian rubbed his head from, both Gumball and Darwin noticed the trash lids lying on the floor. Then, it hit Gumball.

'_Wait a minute…that's it! Perhaps there was a way to turn the tables on Ivan and his friends after all!'_ Gumball then whispered his plan to Darwin, before focusing his attention to Brian.

"Brian…" Gumball whispered to the purple fox. "I think there's a way we could beat them at their own game."

Brian looked at Gumball, a bit surprised to hear such a claim from the blue feline. At the same time, though, he couldn't help but smile, glad to know that to have some good news for a change.

"Alright Gumball, I'm listening…"

* * *

Ivan, along with Joey, Lloyd and Ray, continued to pummel the trash cans that Brian and his friends were hiding behind with joy and glee, as they attempt to wear its sturdy defense as much as they could.

The red bear and his friends were having the time of their lives. Ever since he learned that purple fox, along with his pals, were in fact trespassers, Ivan was more than happy to accept Big Mac's offer, just so he could take him out without getting into trouble. Likewise, his friends also accepted the toad's offer, just so they could serve as his backups and were just as eager to have some payback as well.

But several minutes had passed since the game had started and all four had yet to succeed in taking down the trio. Lloyd, in particular, was becoming increasingly bored from repeatedly hitting the trash cans.

"Duh…this is getting us nowhere, Ivan. Why don't we just call it draw?" Lloyd's suggestion, however, only succeeded in irritating the red bear.

"There's no way I'm accepting that, Lloyd! Besides, you know the rule of the game: whoever knocks the other team down wins and I intend to finish this game." Ivan then returned his attention to the garbage cans that Brian, along with Gumball and Darwin, were using as their protection.

"Come out and show yourself, furball!" Ivan shouted. "Sooner or later, you and your friends better accept your punishment like men!"

"Why don't you come here and make us?!" Brian shouted back, still hiding behind the trash cans.

Ivan couldn't help but shake his head in response at the fox's remark. If he and his friends were going to be defiant until the end, then so be it. With that in mind, Ivan, with the dodge ball gripped tightly on his paw, threw it as hard as he could towards the trio. In a matter of seconds, it will be game, set and-

"Not this time!"

Unexpectedly, Brian popped out from behind the trash cans, with a lid on one paw, shoving the dodge ball as hard as he could, aiming it squarely at Lloyd's stomach, knocking him completely out. Brian's surprised move caught everyone's attention, especially Athena, as she becomes intrigued by the purple fox's counterattack.

'_This is suddenly becoming interesting.'_ Athena thought.

Before long, Gumball and Darwin also came out from behind the trash cans, also armed with a lid of their own. Ivan, Joey and Ray remained a bit shocked from Lloyd's swift defeat, before suddenly bursting into laughter, much to the trio's confusion.

"This is the best you could think of?!" Ivan shouted, as he wiped a tear from his eyes. "Either you guys are really stupid or really desperate!"

"Either way, luck's not going to help you and your friends out the next time." says Joey.

"It's not luck that's going to help us win the game. It's strategy that's going to help us out." Brian insisted.

"Whatever." was Ivan's response, before he and his two pals resumed throwing their dodge balls right at the trio.

This time, though, Brian, Gumball and Darwin were prepared for the onslaught facing them; armed with nothing but trash can lids as defense, the trio were able to deflect the oncoming projectiles coming right back at Ivan and his friends, all the while performing evasive maneuvers at the same time. Surprised to see these tactics from the trio, Ivan, Joey and Ray threw their dodge balls as fast as they could, a look of desperation formed on their faces and their heads sweating like mad.

Back on the bleachers, Rhonda and Anais cheered on, both relieved and happy that the boys are now suddenly turning the tables.

"Alright you guys, you can do it!"

"Keep it up! Show them what you're made of!"

Meanwhile, Principal Pauline continued to look on, somewhat impressed by the trio's combine effort, while Big Mac watched the game in horror and disbelief. He couldn't believed what's happening just now; those little munchkins are suddenly having the advantage in the game and Ivan and his pals are having no luck in knocking one of them down.

'_This was to suppose to a simple and quick game! How could Ivan and his pals not land a single blow at them?! They should have won by now!'_

By now, Ivan, Joey and Ray are worn out from constantly throwing all those dodge balls, as the trio was now able to fend off their attacks with all of their might. Joey and Ray, in particular, were completely exhausted: their bodies had finally reached their limits, their muscles completely ached all over the place and they could barely stand still. With all of their energies depleted, the two of them fell to the floor unconscious, much to Ivan's shock.

'_This is ridiculous! I'm being made a fool by a bunch of wimps who aren't half my size! There's no way I'm getting let them humiliate me like this, especially in front of Rhonda!'_

As the red bear tried to fathom this unexpected outcome, his thoughts were interrupted by Brian, Gumball and Darwin cheering in joy, as victory was finally in their reach. All Ivan could do at the moment was growl in disgust by this. As much as he hated this, he was at a big disadvantage and there was nothing he could do about it. That is, until he noticed a dodge ball right next to him, giving him a very good idea.

'_If I'm going to loose, I'll at least have the satisfaction on knocking furball out!'_

With that in mind, Ivan grabbed the dodge ball off the ground and concentrated solely on Brian, making sure that his aiming was right on target. He was determined to give the purple fox a headache he'll never forget. But as he prepared to throw the dodge ball right at Brian, his action went unnoticed by Rhonda and quickly realizing what he intended to do.

"Brian, look out!" Rhonda shouted.

Confused by the mouse's shouting, Brian turned around to see an oncoming dodge ball heading right towards him. The sight of the projectile coming right at him caused the purple fox to freeze in fear, unable to move his legs, or his entire body, as the dodge ball inched closer towards him. But just when it finally about to hit him, Brian suddenly found himself shove to the ground at the last minute by Darwin, as the projectile barely brushed the tip of his tail and the fish's fin, before smacking hard into the wall, much to everyone's shock.

"Brian, are you alright?!" a concerned Darwin asked.

"I'm fine Darwin, thanks to you." Brian replied. "What about you?"

"I think I'm good, but I sprained my ankle when I shoved you at the last minute. I'm so sorry about that."

"Don't worry about that, Darwin. It's not entirely your fault." assured Brian, before he focused his attention on Ivan. "If there's anyone that should be held responsible, it's that moron who decided to play unfair!"

Brian could feel his anger boiling up like a cooking pressure, as he helped Darwin up to the bleachers. But no one couldn't have been very furious than Gumball; how dare Ivan pulled off such a move like that, just so he could win this game. He could have seriously injured his friend and brother and it was clear that the red bear show no guilt for it. There was no way that Gumball was going to let Ivan get away with this. It was then that there was only one thing both he and Brian could do.

"Brian!" Gumball shouted. "Do you recall the time I talk about the cell phone incident?"

"What about it?" Brian asked.

"I got no time to explain, but just trust me on it!"

Once Brian helped Darwin up to the bleachers, the purple fox almost immediately went to his friend's side, curious to see what the blue feline had to say. Soon, Gumball whispered the plan into the fox's ear and after a while, Brian slowly understood what the blue feline had in mind, before the duo turned their attention to Ivan, still eager to take them down.

"I don't know you boneheads are planning, but it's not going to help you two out." Ivan then picked up another dodge ball and proceeded to throw it right at them. Unexpectedly, Brian simply sidestepped, allowing the projectile to head straight towards to Gumball. Armed with the trash can lid, Gumball proceed to deflect the ball back at Brian, who, in turned, deflected the ball right back at Gumball.

Right before everyone's eyes, both Brian and Gumball proceeded to deflect the dodge ball back and forth, each hit increasing the ball's speed. Ivan, stunned by the duo's unusual method, could only stand still and watch, unable to make a single move. It was at this point that the dodge ball was reaching its climax.

"**Combo Breaker!"** Gumball and Brian shouted simultaneously, before Brian quickly sidestepped, allowing the blue feline to launch the projectile right at Ivan. The red bear didn't have any time to react, as the dodge ball hit hi directly in his face, sending him down for the count.

The moment Ivan went down, there was long, eerie silence all over the gym. After what seemed like forever, though, Rhonda, Anais and Darwin cheered on, while Athena clapped her hand, impressed by the boys' efforts. Big Mac, on the other hand, remained completely shock, stunned by the outcome.

"I can't believe it, Gumball." says Brian. "We actually won!"

"No kidding." Gumball noted. "I thought for sure we were goners!"

Once they were done giving each other their praises, the duo made their way to the bleachers, joining up with Rhonda, Anais and Darwin, as well as Athena. The four kids, as well as Rhonda, waited to hear what the principal had to say.

"That was a very excellent move you two managed to pull off!" Athena said, praising both Gumball and Brian of their performances, much to the kids' relief. "I have to say, I didn't see that one coming at all. As promised, I will overlook today's incident as if it was nothing."

Athena then turned her attention to Big Mac, who managed to recover from the shock, as he noticed the shark's presence.

"Big Mac, would you be so kind to escort these four kids to the entrance? Also, please allow me to escort Rhonda to her next class."

As soon as she was finished, Athena, along with Rhonda, headed to the entrance of the school gym, while Big Mac glared at Brian and the Watterson siblings, pretty annoyed that today didn't turned out as he had hoped. But what Athena says goes and there's nothing he could do about it.

"Alright you little munchkins, come with me." Big Mac grudgingly spoke, before he escorts the four to the school's entrance.

* * *

For the next few hours, the rest of the afternoon went on without any further incidents at Elmore Academy. While Gumball, Darwin and Anais took the transit bus to head back home, Brian, at his insistence, stayed behind, assuring them that he'll be fine, as the purple fox waited outside the entrance. The only thing Brian could do was give Rhonda a proper apology for everything that had happened today. He just hoped that she would stick around to hear every word he has to say to her.

'_Alright Brian, you can do this. Just tell Rhonda what you did and pray that she at least understands why I-'_

Brian's thoughts were interrupted by the opening of the gate, as every student started pouring out all over the place, heading to their homes until tomorrow comes around the corner. As Brian looked on, hoping to spot Rhonda from the crowd, he noticed a certain red bear heading right at him, his faces wrapped with some bandages and his right eye was bruised up. Judging from his expression, it was clear that Ivan wasn't in a good mood at all.

"Don't think that what you did today is going to convince me to let you off the hook." Ivan warned. "If I ever crossed path with you or one of your friends, you'll wish that you've never met me in the first place."

Once Ivan finished his threat, he turned to the opposite direction and angrily walked away from Brian, leaving the purple fox visibly shaken and frightened.

'_Yikes! Looks like I have to be careful when I go to this area from now on!'_

"Excuse me, but did Ivan threaten you again?"

Brian yelped in response, before noticing Rhonda right in front of him, much to the fox's relief. It was good to see someone like her, which reminded him of something…

"Oh, hey Rhonda…" Brian greeted the mouse. "You're still not upset about what me and my friends did hours ago, are you?"

"I'm not upset or anything, but I was disappointed." Rhonda replied. "Still, there's no reason to stay mad at you after what you guys did at the gym today."

"I see…" Brian says. "Listen Rhonda, I just wanted to apologize for everything. I just wish I had met you up at the bike path today instead of sneaking around Elmore Academy. I didn't mean to-"

Rhonda raised her hand up, prompting the purple fox to stop talking, curious to see what the mouse had to say.

"Apology accepted, Brian. I'm just glad that neither you nor your friends got hurt too badly. Plus, you were very honest with your words and you did take full responsibility."

Brian couldn't help but smiled and blushing lightly, touched that despite what had happened, Rhonda decided to give him another chance.

"Anyway, would you promise me that you won't pull off another stunt like that again?"

"Don't worry, Rhonda, I promised." Brian assured the mouse, as she smiled in response.

"That's very good to hear, Brian. One more thing, before I go, I have something to show you."

Rhonda then hands Brian a piece of paper, prompting the purple fox to take a look at it. Much to his surprise, the paper contained Rhonda's phone number, leaving him very ecstatic, before he turned his attention to the mouse once more.

"Call me if you want to hang out anytime. Anyway, I have to go home right now. Bye Brian."

"Bye Rhonda."

With that, Rhonda got on her bike and left for her home, as the purple fox stood near the school entrance and looked at the piece of paper with a smile.

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 15-The Alien: Part 1_

_Gumball's sudden obsession with science fiction is driving Brian, Darwin and Anais crazy and decided that the only way to get rid of his obsession was to stage an alien invasion._

**Tidbits**

**-It's been a long while, but I'm finally done with this arc. It was quite fun, if not challenging, though I am taking a break from doing long arcs for now. It'll be a matter of time before I do another one.**

**-Just in case anyone is wondering, Rhonda and Ivan will be recurring characters for future chapters. The same goes with Big Mac, Athena and Ivan's gang (depending on which chapter they'll appear in).**

**-This is my second attempt to put some action sequences as best as I could pull it off. But to be honest, it turned out much differently than I had hope for.**

**Once again, I wanted to thank everyone who has been reading "The Newcomer". That really meant so much to me and I appreciate that. Please let me know what you think of the story so far.**

**Thanks and see ya next chapter!**


	15. The Alien: Part 1

**It's been a long while, but here it is, fellow readers, the chapter that got the most votes from the poll, just as I promised.**

**I hope the wait was worth it and I have been waiting to write this chapter! I also wanted to thank Sal for helping me out and I wanted thank everyone for the great reviews!**

**Thanks for being so patient and enjoy!**

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 15-The Alien: Part 1

It was another day at Elmore Junior High, as Brian and Darwin were having another meal at the cafeteria, waiting for Gumball to show up at their usual spot. Somehow, the blue feline ended up giving out one too many incorrect answers on a math test and as a result, Miss Simian forced Gumball to do a make up test. Brian was still trying to fathom how his friend ended up failing that test, despite being told about it a few days ago.

'_How could Gumball not know about today's test? Miss Simian kept bringing it up almost every day.'_

As Brian continued to ponder in his thoughts, Darwin tapped the purple fox on the shoulder, prompting him to turn around and spotted Gumball heading right towards their table. As the blue feline made his way towards them, both boys noticed that Gumball was carrying what appeared to be a science fiction book, based on the cover, much to their curiosity.

"Hey guys." Gumball greeted his friends.

"Hey Gumball." Brian and Darwin greeted him back, before the two-legged fish decided to ask the blue feline about the book.

"So Gumball, what's that book you've been carrying around?"

"This, my friend, just happens to be the coolest thing I have ever found in the library." Gumball replied back.

"Exactly how long have you been reading that?" Brian inquired the blue feline.

"What do you mean, Brian?" a confused Gumball asked.

"Have you've been reading that book for the last few days, even though we had a math test today?"

It was not long before Brian noticed Gumball cringing in response, confirming the purple fox's intuition. As soon as the guilt showed up on the blue feline's face, Gumball spoke defensively to his friends.

"Alright you guys, so I got distracted this week, I get it. But still, this book contains the coolest information I have ever read in my entire life."

Gumball then proudly displayed the book right in front of his friends' face, allowing them to see the full title from the cover itself.

"The 1,000 Amazing Facts of Aliens, UFOs and Planets." Brian and Darwin read simultaneously, before they turned around and gave Gumball an incredulous look, much to the blue feline's discomfort.

"What's wrong, you guys?" Gumball asked.

"Gumball, I think you should put that book down." Darwin replied. "It's not healthy for your brain."

"Darwin's right." says Brian, agreeing with the two-legged fish. "If you keep reading and thinking about one subject all your life, it's bound to get you into trouble."

"Come on, you guys, it's not such a big deal." Gumball dismissed his friends' concerns. "Plus, this book contains some well known important facts of all things science fiction."

"Is that so, Gumball?" asked Brian, arching an eyebrow. "In fact, why don't you tell us a few so-called important facts from that book?"

Before Gumball could reply to the purple fox's question, Anais suddenly showed up at their usual table, ready to greet her brothers and Brian as always.

"Hey guys, how are you…" Anais trailed off when she noticed the book right next to Gumball and rather than finishing her greeting, she turned to her older brother with an annoyed look on her face, something that both Brian and Darwin noted.

"Gumball, are you still reading that dumb book you found in the library?"

"Oh, come on, not you too, sis." a dismay Gumball spoke.

"But Gumball, that book is not even one hundred percent accurate." Anais began explaining. "Plus, everything about it seems to be based on short stories, conspiracy theories and movies. There's no way any of what the book says is true."

"So you're telling me that the Roswell incidents, Area 51 and planet Niburu are just the figment of my imagination?" Gumball questioned his sister.

"That's exactly what your sister's trying to tell you." Brian responded, answering his friend's question before the child prodigy could. "Look Gumball, all we're trying to say is that just take a break from your new interest and talk about something else for a change."

Gumball ponders for a moment, thinking of what Brian just told right now, while the purple fox, along with his friends, waited to hear the blue feline's answer. After a long while, Gumball turned to Brian, ready to give out his response.

"You're right, Brian, I should take a break, just for today. In fact, I'll even return this book to the library right now."

With that said, Gumball got up from his seat and quickly left the cafeteria, heading to the library, while Anais and Darwin looked at Brian with astonishment, much to the purple fox's confusion.

"What?"

"Normally, Gumball would just come up with any weird excuse that would sometimes defy all logical reasoning." Darwin began explaining to Brian. "But somehow, all it took was just a simple persuasive sentence on your part."

"I'll have to admit, that was very uncharacteristic of Gumball to sudden replied like that." Anais noted. "Still, I think we should make sure that Gumball will honor his promise."

"Let's not be too hasty, Anais." says Brian. "Besides, as Darwin pointed out, all it took was some persuasion from my part to convince Gumball to stop his obsession."

"Alright Brian, if you say so." Anais reluctantly agreed with Brian. "But I still think we should keep an eye out on Gumball."

"You worried too much, Anais. I bet you right now that your brother is going to forget about his obsession with science fiction in a matter of days."

Brian then gave himself a confident smile, certain that Gumball is going to be his old self in no time at all.

* * *

**Five days later…**

The school bell rang, as every student rushed out of the hallway, making their way towards the steps in front of Elmore Junior High and waiting for their ride while conversing with one another. Among the students that are heading out to the steps were Brian, Darwin and Anais, though none of them were not in a very good mood after hearing the latest information from Gumball.

It has been several days since Gumball returned that book to the library and Brian, as well as Darwin and Anais, assumed that was the end of it. It never occurred to all three of them that Gumball managed to memorized the book in its entirety. As a result, whenever the blue feline was talking with his siblings or the purple fox, the subject would be everything related to his obsession, from aliens, UFOs and even Isaac Asimov.

While Darwin and Anais were becoming increasingly impatient with their brother's fascination with science fiction, Brian was on the verge of losing his sanity, as both his body and right eye twitched like mad. No matter where he goes, Gumball would talk about his obsession from the classroom, the schoolyard and even in the bathroom. At this rate, he was about to completely loose it.

'_If I have to hear one more conversation that's about aliens and the likes, I am about to-'_

Brian's thoughts were interrupted when Gumball showed at the main entrance of the school, happy as usual and oblivious to the plight he inadvertently gave to his friends, as he happily greeted them.

"Hey guys!"

"Hey Gumball." Brian, Darwin and Anais greeted back, but with less enthusiasm.

"So Darwin, have I told you about-" Gumball was about to finish asking the question, when Darwin suddenly cut him off.

"Yes Gumball." Darwin replied.

"Alright then…" Gumball said, before turning to Anais. "Hey Anais, have you heard about-"

"I heard that one already." Anais suddenly answered, cutting Gumball off.

At this point, Gumball looked at his siblings in confusion. He didn't know what was going on, nor did he realize why they were incredibly grumpy. Shrugging off their demeanor, he focused his attention on Brian, hoping he would listen to what he had to say.

"Hey Brian, did you know about-"

"You've already told me that one since yesterday." Brian replied, interrupting the blue feline's question. At that point, Gumball, still dumbfounded, became rather concerned and curious about the demeanor from both his friend and his siblings.

"What's going on, you guys? Why are you behaving like this? Come to think of, why do you three keep interrupting me like that? You haven't even heard what I'm about to say."

Before Gumball knew it, he found Brian looking directly at his face, expressing a sign of annoyance from the blue feline's comment.

"We know exactly what you're going to day, Gumball." Brian corrected his friend. "For the last five days, all you've been talking about is aliens, UFOs and life on other planets and to be honest, we're fed up with it."

"Brian's right, Gumball…" Anais finally spoke, agreeing with the purple fox. "You've been talking non-stop about that subject every time we have a conversation."

"Can you talk about something else besides your obsession, Gumball?" Darwin pleaded, begging his friend on his knees. "At this rate, I don't know how much I could tolerate it."

"Oh, come on, you guys, you're acting like a bunch of drama queens." Gumball brushed off his friends' words. "Besides, why should I stop talking about my interest in science fiction?"

"That's because an alien invasion is going to happen tonight." Brian replied sarcastically.

"Are you serious, Brian? Where did you learn about that?" Gumball questioned the purple fox.

Brian was about to correct the blue feline when all of a sudden, he was hit with an idea. Since Gumball didn't realize he was being sarcastic, maybe he could take advantage of his friend's curiosity.

"I thought you already knew what's going to happen tonight, Gumball." says Brian. "In fact, I've already told your siblings about it, isn't the right, you guys?"

Brian then winked his right eye at both Darwin and Anais in response and almost immediately, the two realized what's going on and decided to play along with the purple fox.

"He's right, Gumball…" Darwin informed his brother. "In fact, just a few days ago, Brian just told me that he spotted what looked like a flying saucer coming its way towards town and I decided to tell Anais about it."

"At first, I wasn't sure what to make of this claim..." Anais explained to Gumball. "But after Brian and Darwin gave me irrefutable proof, it was enough for me to be convinced of its existence."

"This is so good to hear!" Gumball exclaimed, before he looked at his siblings and his friend with confusion. "If you three already knew about it, how come you're telling me right now?"

"That's because we, uh, wanted to surprise you." Brian quickly replied. "After all, you know everything there is to know about your subject and we felt that this is the right time and place to inform you. In fact, we should travel and stop the invasion together."

"You really mean it, Brian?" an ecstatic Gumball asked.

"I have absolute faith over you, Gumball." Brian assured his friend. "Now go out there and get yourself ready. Your destiny is waiting for you."

"You're right, Brian! I should get myself ready and saved the town of Elmore from destruction!"

With that act of declaration, Gumball immediately dashed his way home. Darwin and Anais then looked at Brian, both curious about his earlier action just now.

"Brian, are you sure it's alright for us to pull such a prank on Gumball?" Darwin inquired the purple fox.

"I wouldn't be too worried about that." Brian replied, assuring the two-legged fish. "Besides, this is going to be a harmless prank and Gumball would be too optimistic to even realize what's going on."

"Normally, I would object to such an idea…" Anais finally spoke. "But I'll make an exception with this one, as long as I don't have to hear anything related to science fiction."

"So it settled: we're going through with the plan." Brian concluded. "Here's how it's going to work…"

Brian huddled Darwin and Anais into a circle, as he discussed how the plan would work out, as well as listening to any suggestions they might have. After all, this is their one chance that they have in the hopes of ridding Gumball of his obsession, unaware of what was about to transpire tonight.

* * *

In the dark, deep depths of outer space, where the star shines brightly and a few chosen were granted the honor to make the trip, a UFO, along with its passengers, traveled at the speed of light, all the while making preparations for their task.

But in the middle of its flight, one of the asteroids strayed away from the field, ending up on its path in the process. By the time one of its passengers noticed the asteroid, it was too late to step on the brake, as the asteroid smashed into the UFO's windshield, cracking it. Fortunately, it was minor, but nevertheless, one of the passengers got mad at the other for his tomfoolery.

"Watch we're you going, you dimwitted buffoon!" A short, squatted Grey shouted.

"Well excuse me, your highness, but it was never my intention to damage this wondrous vehicle to begin with." A tall, thing Grey responded sarcastically.

"That's not the point, John-9! What if that asteroid had hit the engines?! We would have been goners for sure!"

"We're alive and fine, Parker-10." John-9 spoke out, brushing off his companion's complaints. "Besides, that was just a minor crack and that still won't stop us from reaching our next destination. In fact, take a look right now."

Parker-10, after some hesitation, reluctantly complied, making his way towards the map his friend was showing him just now. Upon further inspection, a look of shock and exasperation appeared on Parker-10's face and he angrily confronted John-9 about their destination.

"Of all the planets we could have traveled to, why did you choose Earth?!" Parker-10 demanded.

"What's wrong with planet Earth?!" John-9asked, questioned the short-tempered Grey.

"Every time we head to that backwater planet, we always ended up being the laughing stocks of our fellow peers back in Mars." Parker-10 pointed out. "Remember the time you abducted dozens of cows, because that's what every other aliens we're doing?"

"I didn't know that fad was going to phase out." John-9 defensively said.

"Sure you didn't, John-9." Parker-10 mockingly replied. "But that's still no excuse for the abductees we bring to our ship. Every single time, we always ended up with geeks, nerds and enthusiasts and I'm sick and tired of it!"

"Alright Parker-10, I get it already." John-9 was getting aggravated by his friend's complaints. "Tell you what, why don't you abduct the next targets instead, just this once?"

Parker-10 pondered for a moment, thinking of what his companion had asked him just now. On one hand, it'll end with either coming home with nothing or mad fun of again. But on the other hand, he might have a good shot at it, maybe earning the respect of their fellow peers.

"Alright, John-9, you've got yourself a deal." Parker-10 replied, reluctantly shaking his partner's hand.

"That's the spirit!" John-9 happily says, before he turned to the coordinates on the map. "Planet Earth, here we come!"

With that, both Greys headed to their destination in the blink of an eye, as the UFO embarked on its way to Earth.

* * *

The evening had finally arrived on the town of Elmore, as the moon and stars shined brightly all over the sky. For most people, it would mean that it was time to get a good night sleep and get ready for the next day. But for a certain purple fox, pink rabbit and a two-legged fish, they have other plans for this night.

After they all agree on how they should peform this prank, Brian, Darwin and Anais waited for Gumball to meet them at the summer fields. Hours earlier though, both Darwin and Anais told their mom that they, along with Gumball, we're going to hang out at Brian's place for tonight. Although their mother was somewhat suspicious by their claims, Nicole eventually agreed and gave her permission, much to their relief.

While Darwin and Anais waited patiently for their brother to show up, Brian, on the other hand, was becoming rather anxious, his face sweating like mad and his paws shaking rather nervously. The purple fox was starting to think that Gumball was on to them; if that's the case, then the whole plan is ruined.

'_Oh man! What's taking him so long?!'_ Brian thought, silently panicking in his mind.

"Sorry I'm late, you guys!"

Brian, Darwin and Anais turned to the source of the voice and spotted Gumball biking his way towards them. Once Gumball hit the brake and put his bike aside, the blue feline made his way towards the trio, prompting Brian to confront his friend, his mind filled with worried thoughts.

"Gumball…" Brian began. "What took you so long? You might have missed out the alien invasion."

"Sorry about that." Gumball apologized to the purple fox, scratching his head sheepishly. "I was looking for a camera to get proof that aliens really existed. It took a while, but I finally managed to find one that works."

"Oh…that's good to hear, Gumball." Brian finally spoke.

"I know, Brian, I'm just so excited about this."

While Gumball was caught up in his happiness, Brian felt a slight tap on the shoulder and noticed Darwin right behind him. After the purple fox allowed his friend to whisper about the prank, they, along with Anais, quietly tiptoed away from Gumball as fast as they could, as they began to set their plan in motion.

"When everyone's going to see this picture, the whole world will know that aliens truly exist, isn't that right Brian?"

Expecting to hear a response right away, Gumball became puzzled by the silent treatment he was receiving all of a sudden.

"Brian, did you hear what I said?" asked Gumball, before he turned around and noticed that, not only was the purple fox nowhere to be found, but his siblings weren't around either.

"Guys, where are you?" Gumball fearfully asked. "This isn't funny at all."

All of a sudden, the blue feline noticed a bright flash coming from the sky, leaving Gumball in a state of astonishment and bewilderment. Before he knew what was happening, the bright flash was coming increasingly closer right towards him, before abruptly stopping midway in its descent, revealing itself to be a hovering vehicle of some sort. Gumball had no doubt that what he was staring at was an actual UFO, much to his excitement.

'_Oh man! I can't believe this is actually happening right now! Brian, Darwin and Anais are so missing out on this!'_

As the blue feline continued to stare at the flying saucer with much happiness and joy, a beam shot right down to the ground, much to Gumball's surprise. Before he knew it, coming out from the UFO were two individuals: one was short and squatted, while the other was tall and thin, but both wore retro-looking uniforms. Judging from their appearances, Gumball had no doubts that these two were actual Greys from the book he had read five days ago and he couldn't have been any happier than witnessing two actual aliens in front of him.

As Gumball looked on, holding on the camera tightly on his paws, the tall Grey, known as John-9, looked at his partner, Parker-10, with some amusement on his face.

"So Parker-10…" John-9 began to speak. "What do you think of this fine fellow right here?"

"To be honest, I'm a bit surprised that he seems more happy than fearful of us." Parker-10 replied. "Then again, these Earthlings can have such predictable behaviors."

Before John-9 could say anything else, both he and Parker-10 were suddenly caught off-guard when the blue feline finally spoke with enthusiasm.

"Oh my goodness, I can't believe you two are real life aliens! I just wish that my friends were here to see this! But before I could get a good picture of you two, I have so many questions that need to be answer…"

* * *

As Gumball began asking the two Greys about Area 51, the Roswell Incidents, among other topics, behind a large tree, Darwin was watching the whole scene right in front of him and couldn't help but be amused.

'_Wow! Brian and Anais are really doing a good job with the special effects! They look almost life-like!'_

"What's going on with this device…"Brian complained "I thought Bobert did a fine job with this stupid wireless holographic projector!"

"Brian! That's not how it works!" shouted Anais.

Darwin paused for a moment, confused by the fox's complaint and his sister's shouting, before the two-legged fish turned around and saw Brian banging on the projector, while Anais attempted to stop him from possibly damaging the device. Wait a minute…something wasn't adding up at all.

"Um, guys, what's going on?" Darwin asked.

Both Brian and Anais stopped what they were doing and turned to the two-legged fish, confused by their friend's question.

"Well, just in case you weren't paying any attention…" Brian began to explain. "I'm trying to start this stupid contraption for the prank that Bobert created for us, but it's not working for some reason."

Darwin was surprised to hear such an answer from the purple fox, as his face expressed itself with shock and astonishment, something that Anais noticed.

"What's wrong, Darwin? Why are you reacting to Brian's answer like that?" Anais questioned her brother.

In response, Darwin simply pointed his flipper to the summer field, much to the curiosity of both Brian and Anais, before the two-legged fish lead them to the scene itself. Much to the surprised of the duo, they saw Gumball talking to what appears to be aliens and hovering above them was a UFO. It didn't take long for both Brian and Anais to realize what's going on.

"Anais…" Brian began to talk. "Are you seeing what I am seeing right now?"

"If I had known any better, I say that Gumball's having a casual conversation with two Greys, with a UFO hovering above them." Anais responded.

"That's what I thought." says Brian.

For a while, Brian, Darwin and Anais continued to stare at the unexpected scenery with curiosity and astonishment. Then, it hit the trio.

"Oh no, you guys!" Brain shouted. "Gumball's going to be abducted by actual aliens!"

"We've got to stop them right now before they caused serious harm on Gumball!" Anais yelled.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's save Gumball this instant." says Darwin.

With that, the trio immediately ran to the summer fields as fast as they could, hoping that they weren't too late to save Gumball from the clutches of those two Greys.

* * *

For the last several minutes, John-9 and Parker-10 were listening to Gumball's nonstop chattering about certain science fiction topics that were brought up to them, ranging from robots to apes ruling the planet and right now, the two Greys are currently listening about possible life on Mars. Parker-10, in particular, was becoming increasingly impatient by Gumball and his eccentric behavior.

"John-9, this is getting us nowhere." Parker-10 whispered. "I knew coming to this planet was a mistake all along."

"Alright, Parker-10, so I didn't see this one coming either." John-9 answered back. "Anyway, let's just end this conversation with him."

John-9 and Parker-10 returned their attention to the exciting, blue feline, with the former raising his hand to stop Gumball from talking, before finally talking to him.

"Listen, um, Gumball, that was very fine and all, but me and friend have to go back to our planet. It was nice meeting you." Once John-9 finished his excuse, he and Parker-10 head right towards to the beam, much to the blue feline's confusion.

"Wait a minute, you guys! Where are you two going?!" Gumball shouted, prompted both Greys to stop in their tracks, with Parker-10 facing the blue feline with an annoyed look.

"Listen well, you Earthling…" Parker-10 began. "My buddy and I are getting fed up listening to another sci-fi fanatic's rants! We came to find someone with important facts and unfortunately for you, what you have is none of our-"

"Gumball!" shouted three voices, prompting the short, squat Grey to stop what he was doing and saw three individuals heading right towards to them: a purple fox, a pink rabbit and a fish with two legs. He then noticed that Gumball recognized them right away, waving his paw right at the trio.

"Guys, I'm so glad to see you!" Gumball shouted with happiness. "It's alright, these two aliens are cool. They're not going to invade Elmore after all."

The moment Gumball brought that up, John-9 and Parker-10 stared at the trio with shock and surprises on their faces.

"I'm sorry to be rude, but what's this about an alien invasion?" John-9 asked.

"Oh, it's nothing important, sir." Brian feverishly replied.

"What are you talking about, Brian?" Gumball questioned the fox. "You said that you, Darwin and Anais have proof that a flying saucer was heading to Elmore tonight."

"Is that so?" Parker-10 asked, becoming very suspicious about this claim.

"Gumball, please stop talking, for our sake." Darwin fearfully pleaded.

"Darwin's right, Gumball. I don't think it's not a good idea to talk about it in front of them." says Anais.

"Guys, what are you talking a-" before Gumball could finish his sentence, he felt a tap on the shoulder, prompting the blue feline to turn around and saw John-9 holding a ray gun in front of him. Before he, his siblings and their friend could react, John-9 pulled the trigger, causing the ray gun to shoot an orange beam, shocking all four, before they fainted, unconscious.

"Are you sure that was necessary?" Parker-10 asked.

"Don't be too worried, Parker-10. The energy from the ray gun wasn't that strong enough to seriously hurt them." John-9 assured his friend. "Right now, let's get them to our vehicle and questioned them about their claims."

Agreeing with John-9, Parker-10 had the UFO to beam them and their unconscious abductees, before the vehicle secured the only entrance and flew right into deep space.

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 16-The Alien: Part 2_

_Gumball, Darwin, Anais and Brian find themselves abducted by John-9 and Parker-10, prompting the four to outwit their abductors and find a way to get back home._

**Tidbits**

**-The plot for The Alien was originally going to be a prank that goes horribly wrong, but after typing it up, it didn't turned out the way I had hope. Thankfully, I wanted to thank Sal for his suggestions.**

**-For this chapter, I tried to put some science fiction references and allusions as much as I could. Expect a few more on the next chapter.**

**-Originally, I didn't planned on introducing new characters in this chapter, but after taking Sal's suggestion, I decided to make an exception. For John-9, I envisioned John Dimaggio voicing him (doing Joker's interpretation) and for Parker-10, I have Richard Steven Horvitz voicing him (best known for his role as Zim from Invader Zim).**

**-The name John-9 is derived from John-117 (otherwise known as Master Chief), while Parker-10 is derived from Guilty Sparks-343.**

**Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and see ya next time!**


	16. The Alien: Part 2

**Here's the next part of The Alien. Also, I want to thank Sal for his suggestion. Hope you guys enjoyed it!**

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 16-The Alien: Part 2

It felt like a long time, but Brian was able to regain conscious, though his vision remained very blurry and his head felt like it got hit by hammer.

'_What happened?'_ Brian wondered, before he attempted to get up. Much to his surprised, though, the purple fox was unable to move any of his arms or legs. When his vision finally cleared up, he then noticed something very wrong.

Instead of staring at the starry sky and lying on the summer fields, Brian found himself in some sort of laboratory, filled with various medical equipments, before finding himself strapped down on some medical table. Likewise, Gumball, Darwin and Anais are also in the same situation he was in and were slowly regaining conscious as well.

"Guys, are you alright?" Brian asked the Watterson siblings, worried and concern for their well-beings.

"I think we're good, Brian." Gumball replied.

"I don't know about you, but I still felt like something hit me on the head." Darwin said to his brother.

"That's the least of our worries, you guys. We should be more worried about those two aliens that have captured us." Anais pointed out.

"Speaking of which, where are those two?" Brian asked, noting their lack of presence.

On cue, the entrance to the laboratory opened, revealing their captors right in front of them. Panic and fear soon expressed itself on all four kids, frightened by what their captors have plans for them, as the Greys slowly approached them.

"What should we do with them?" Parker-10 asked. "If they really have proof about our existence, we need to handle the situation with as delicate as possible."

"Honestly, I have no idea whether they were really honest or not." John-9 responded, all the while pondering on making the next move. "Still, we should take no further actions. After all, they seemed to know too much about us before we even arrived."

John-9 and Parker-10 then cautiously approached the four, uncertain of what kind of reaction they would give out. After a long while, Gumball finally spoke, startling the two Greys in the process.

"What's the big deal attacking us like that?!" Gumball demanded. "What do you want from us?!"

Once John-9 and Parker-10 regained their composure from the blue feline's outburst, the latter decided it was best to give Gumball an answer to their situation.

"It's nothing personal, Earthling…" Parker-10 explained. "We just panicked when you claimed your friends were well aware of our existence. If what they said was true, then I'm afraid that you and your friends will have to suffer the consequence."

"W-what kind of c-c-consequence are we talking a-about?" Darwin nervously asked.

"That, my dear friend, would examine everybody's brains, including yours, be medical means." John-9 nonchalantly replied.

John-9's answer struck a nerve on Brian and the Watterson siblings; it was clear that they planned to have their brains removed for observation, a scenario that proved to be very terrifying, as their bodies quivered in utter fear.

"Wait a minute, you two, let's be reasonable!" Brian shouted. "You don't want to have our brains! Besides, we taste terrible!"

But Brian's comment, however, prompted both John-9 and Parker-10 to recoil in disgust.

"What are you talking about, Earthling?!" Parker-10 asked. "We would never eat brains! That's disgusting!"

"You're not?" Gumball asked, somewhat relief that they weren't going through with that process.

"Heavens no, we're not going to do that." John-9 replied. "We'll be simply putting your brains in spare jars and disposed the rest of the bodies into bio-energy. After all, nothing is ever wasted around here."

In response, both Brian and the Watterson siblings screamed, horrified by the answer the tall, thin Grey gave to them, much to Parker-10's annoyance.

"Shut up already! We can't perform the operation if you kids behave like that!"

"Speaking of which, Parker-10, what do you think we should use on them?"

While the two Greys began discussing on what method should be used on their abductees, Gumball, Darwin, Anais and Brian looked at one another, hoping that at least one of them could come up with a quick solution…and fast!

"Anais, do something!" Brian pleaded. "You're the genius among us!"

Anais pondered for a moment, trying to find the answer to their situation, while Gumball, Darwin and Brian looked at Anais, praying that she had found a solution to their problem. After what seemed to be a long time, the child prodigy turned the trio, ready to give them her answer.

"I could use my ears to conduct a powerful electrical discharge and direct it towards the control panel right in front of us, but if one of you guys could distract our captors, it would buy me some time to create a powerful charge."

Once Anais finished her explanation, both Brian and the Watterson brothers nodded their heads in agreement, before the trio confronted the bickering Greys, with the purple fox making his first move.

"You two might want to reconsider with the operation." Brian talked to the aliens, prompting John-9 and Parker-10 to cease their arguments and stared at the purple fox with deep suspicion.

"Sorry if I have to state the obvious, but why?" John-9 asked.

"Well you see…" Gumball began to talk. "Our bodies our filled with parasites and believe me, you don't want get infected during the operations."

"It's true, you guys!" Darwin yelled, playing along with Gumball. "My blubber is contained with hundreds of parasites and they'll infest every part of your body."

As soon as the two-legged fish finished his sentence, both John-9 and Parker-10 were utterly terrified by the possibility that their abductees could be contaminated and in turn, could infect them back. Parker-10 looked at John-9 with a worried look, hoping the tall, thin Grey could offer a solution.

"What should we do, John-9? If what they say is true, then we have to disinfect them."

"What makes you so sure that they're even infected?" John-9 questioned the short, squatted Grey. "For all we know, they're probably lying about their claims to begin with."

"We can't be certain about that!" Parker-10 argued. "You're just saying that because you don't want to get sick!"

"Well excuse me, your Majesty…"

While the two Greys began arguing over the situation, Anais managed to rub her ears as fast as she could, building up the electrical discharge. After a long while, the child prodigy was able to produce a large mass of electricity that she flung towards the control panel, which immediately short-circuited, releasing all of their restraints in the process, much to their relief.

"Alright Anais…" Brian began, still rubbing his sore arm. "What's the next step?"

"Simple Brian, we'll just head to the command center and change the coordination so we can head back home. But we'll have to be quiet if we wanted to succeed." Anais explained.

Nodding their heads in agreements, both Brian and the Watterson siblings quietly walked away from the arguing Greys, as the four kids quickly made their way to the entrance and into the hallway as fast as they could.

Meanwhile, John-9 and Parker-10 continued to argue about their own situation, debating whether the abductees' claims of parasites where sincere or not. In the midst of their argument, the tall, thin Grey finally noticed that their abductees were no longer on their restraints, much to his shock.

"Parker-10, you might want to take a look."

Confused by his partner's remarks, Parker-10 turned around and saw, to his disbelief, the lab tables bare of its four abductees. But as soon as the shock wore off from the short, squatted Grey's face, his disbelief was replaced with simmering anger. If those four kids managed to escape back to Earth, who knows what kind of catastrophe they will bring upon them. That was a scenario that both he and John-9 would rather not want to face at all.

"We got to find them John-9, before it's too late!"

* * *

The interior of the UFO was much larger than Gumball, Darwin, Anais and Brian had ever imagined. For the last several minutes, the four spent most of the time searching for the command center in the hallway, hoping to changed its coordination and returned to Earth as quickly as possible, a task that was easier said than done. They have checked at least dozens of rooms, hoping the next one would be their intended destination, but to no avail, much to Brian's annoyance.

"This is becoming ridiculous!" Brian angrily exclaimed. "We have searched almost half of the UFO and we're still not even close to finding the command center!"

"Well complaining about it is not going to help us." Darwin calmly spoke. "Besides, we have at least a few more dozen rooms to check out."

"That's not very reassuring, Darwin." says Brian.

"Lighten up Brian, we'll find the command center eventually." Gumball said to the purple fox. "In fact, we'll be there before you can say-"

Right as Gumball was about to finished his sentence, he was cut off by the sound of footsteps, each getting louder by the minute. The four, startled by this unexpected development, have no doubt that their captors were on to them. Both Brian and the Watterson siblings began to panic.

"What do we do?!" Gumball shouted. "I don't want to be a science experiment!"

"I don't know about you, Gumball, but we have to hide in one of the rooms until the coast is clear." Brian responded.

"But how do we know whether it's safe or not?" asked Darwin.

"This isn't the time for arguments! Right now, we need to find a place to hide!" Anais yelled.

Without any time to spare, both Brian and the Watterson siblings quickly leaped to the closet room that was near to them, before the door automatically closed itself, just as the Greys finally made it to their location.

"Are you sure this is the right location, Parker-10?" John-9 questioned the short, squatted Grey.

"Of course I did, you twit!" Parker-10 retorted. "I heard them screaming down the hallway!"

"You're not saying that as an excuse are you?"

"Maybe if you have kept your eyes on them, none of this would ever happen."

"For your information…"

While the two Greys began bickering with one another once more, Gumball, Darwin, Anais and Brian listened very closely in the room they were in. It was rather dark to see what kind of room it was and there was no switch to be found. Regardless, the four were safe for the moment, but they know fully well that sooner or later, their captors would find their hiding spot and they need to come up with a good plan before that happens.

"Alright then…" Gumball started to whisper. "Does anyone have a good idea on how we should sneak away without drawing any unwanted attention?"

"That's going to be a bit complicated, Gumball." Brian whispered to his friend. "Unless we could quietly tiptoe away, they'll be right on our trial before we even know it."

"Brian's right, Gumball…" says Anais, agreeing with the purple fox. "Those two probably know their way around this UFO, so the best solution to our situation is to use their knowledge against them."

While Gumball, Brian and Anais quietly discussed with one another of the best possible outcome for their situation, Darwin, on the other hand, felt a hard object behind him, much to his curiosity.

'_What the flip was that?'_ Darwin thought, as he examined the mysterious object with his flipper. After further inspection, the two-legged fish suddenly pressed on what appears to be a button, resulting in its activation, prompting Darwin to quickly back away towards his friends, as the object began to start up the engine. The sudden noise from said object also got noticed from Gumball, Brian and Anais, as all three looked on with shock and awe.

'_This can't be good.'_ Brian thought, as the object was going through its final phase.

* * *

John-9 and Parker-10 continued to argue with one another in the hallway, debating whether or not their abductees have actually made their way down here or not, oblivious that their presence was only a few inches away from them. As the argument between the two Greys intensified, the sudden roaring of what sounded like an engine prompted the startled aliens to cease arguing with each other.

"Parker-10, what was that?" asked John-9.

"Judging from that noise, I say it sounded like someone, or something, activated the Mini-Scooter." Parker-10 deduced.

Once the short, squatted Grey came to the conclusion, both him and John-9 looked at one another, both sharing a look of uncertainty and bewilderment.

"You don't think-" was all John-9 could say, before suddenly, a quick blur of blue, orange, pink, purple and gray suddenly passed by him and his partner, causing both Greys to spin around like tornadoes. After several seconds, the spinning eventually ceased for both John-9 and Parker-10, before both Greys fell to the floor face first, rendering them unconscious from the unexpected event.

* * *

Gumball, Darwin, Anais and Brian were screaming and clinging on to the Mini-Scooter with dear life, as the vehicle continued to hover with such velocity. Not so long ago, Darwin accidently activated the Mini-Scooter's ignition, prompting the vehicle to automatically set itself up. Uncertain what it was about to do next, both Brian and the Watterson siblings decided to get on to the seat of hovercraft, a decision they quickly come to regret.

"Does anyone know how to control this thing?!" Brian shouted.

"I don't know, Brian!" Gumball yelled. "All I know is that I wish we were at the command center so we could head back home."

The Mini-Scooter suddenly stopped in its track, much to the confusion and relief of both Brian and the Watterson siblings. But their relief was short live, as the vehicle became operational once more and before they knew it, the Mini-Scooter automatically drove itself once again, as Brian and the Watterson siblings held on.

* * *

**20 Seconds Later…**

After what appeared to be an eternity, the Mini-Scooter, along with its unfortunate passengers, finally made its way to the command center, before slowing to a complete halt and shutting off. The rush from the Mini-Scooter have left Brian and the Watterson siblings a complete mess, their bodies covered with bits of dusts, their furs were messy all over the place and they were breathing very heavily from their ordeal. Nevertheless, all four were finally relieved that they were able to make it to their destination at last.

'_I do not want to go through another experience like that ever again!'_ Brian thought, before he and his friends got off of the Mini-Scooter and made their way to the command center.

As the door automatically closed right behind them, both Brian and the Watterson siblings couldn't believe what they were looking at; the command center was exactly how they imagined from the moment they step foot in the area: dozens of advance computers and machinery were laid out all over the place, each serving a different purpose. One computer, in particular, caught Anais' interest, as she instinctively knew right away what it was.

"There it is, you guys!" Anais exclaimed. "I'll try to figure out how to change the coordination, while you three keep those two aliens from entering this place."

"Don't worry about that, sis, we'll get right to it." Gumball replied, before him, Darwin and Brian quickly barricaded the door with every random object they could find. Anais, meanwhile, tried to figure out the complexity of the computer right in front of her.

'_This is going to be trickier than I thought.'_ the child prodigy thought, before she began to quickly type on the keyboard, press a few buttons and hit 'Enter', hoping something good would come up.

Suddenly, Anais, along with Brian and her brothers, were floating upwards inside the command center and it didn't took too long for either of them to realize what had occurred just now.

"Anais, I thought you know what you were doing." says Brian.

"Well excuse me, but I'm not going to get it right the first time." the child prodigy pointed out, before she swam back to the computer console, typing up the keyboard and pressed another set of buttons in the process, hoping she managed to get it right this time.

As soon as Anais hit the 'Enter' button again, the child prodigy soon found herself slammed to the floor face first and the same force applied to her brothers and Brian as well. Much to her dismay, she ended up turning on the high gravity.

"Anais, you're making things worse!" Darwin started to complain. "Do something!"

"I will if you would just be quiet for a moment!" Anais blurted out, before she crawled to the computer console, struggling along the way, due to the strong gravitational pull. After what felt like forever, the child prodigy finally managed to reach to the computer and with a few typing on the keyboard, she managed to turn everything back the way it was, allowing everyone, including herself, to get up and attempt to regain their composure.

"Aw man…" Gumball began, as he stretched his back. "This is getting us nowhere."

"Tell me about it." Brian remarked, as he stretched his arms out. "Things can't get any worse from here."

Without warning, the door, along with the barricades, was suddenly blown to bits, prompting Brian and the Watterson siblings to immediately run for cover. Once the smoke finally settled down, all four kids saw John-9 and Parker-10, each armed with a ray gun, the energy coming out of it was giving off a bright red glow. Judging from their actions and the stern look displayed on both Greys' faces, it was cleared that whatever their plans are, it would been anything but harmless.

"It's about time we've finally managed to track you kids down." John-9 sarcastically commented. "Sadly, after the trouble you put us through, I'm afraid we have no choice but to eliminate you all."

Gumball, Darwin, Anais and Brian could only gulped in response and slowly and fearfully backing away from John-9 and Parker-10 and onto the walls, as the aliens slowly menaced their way to their abductees with much malicious intent.

"Do you have any idea on how much damages you've caused to our vehicle?!" Parker-10 shouted. "Don't even bother answering that question, because your lives are going to end right here."

Once he made his declaration, both he and John-9 raised their ray guns right at them, the energy from the gun glowing brighter than ever, ready to fire at any given moment, as the four kids continued to look on horror.

'_Oh man! I can't believe this is how it's going to end!'_ Brian fearfully thought. _'…Wait a minute! Of course! There's only one way this situation can be defused."_

Once Brian made up his mind, the purple fox slowly walked up right to the menacing Greys, causing them to lower their guns in confusion. Likewise, Gumball, Darwin and Anais looked at their friend with much astonishment; what was he planning to do? Doesn't he realize that what he's doing would cost him his life?

"Brian? What are you doing?!" a frightened Gumball shouted.

"I'm going to tell them the honest truth, Gumball." Brian replied, despite being afraid himself. The purple fox then turned his attention right at John-9 and Parker-10, as both Greys waited with patience and curiosity, wondering what Brian will do next.

"Before you prepared to wipe us all out, I have something very important that I need to address right here and now."

As soon as Brian made his statement, both John-9 and Parker-10 arched their eyebrow with interest, while Darwin and Anais looked on, knowing full well what was about to happen. Gumball, however, was confused by the purple fox's word: why was his friend had something very important to say at a time like this? Something was very wrong and whatever his friend was about to say, he wanted to hear it for himself.

'_Sorry if I had to do this, Gumball, but it's the only chance we have to survive.'_ Finishing his own thoughts, Brian, taking one deep breath, prepared to tell everyone the entire truth.

"We've never had proof about any alien invasion or your kind at all!"

As soon as Brian shouted out his answer, both John-9 and Parker-10 were left utterly shocked by the purple fox's admission and all Darwin and Anais could do is hung their heads with shame. But it was Gumball who was understandably surprised by what his friend had admitted just now.

"W-w-what are you t-t-talking a-about, Brian?" Gumball asked his friend with disbelief, prompting the nervous purple fox to face the astonished blue feline with the answer.

"You heard me, Gumball…" Brian began his explanation. "The whole alien invasion was nothing more than a prank that your siblings and I we're planning to pull on you tonight. The only thing that wasn't part of the prank was an actual appearance from them."

Gumball couldn't believe what he was hearing out of Brian's mouth: all this time, he and his siblings were going to pull a prank on him? As much as he wished it was nothing more than a cruel joke, the look of discomfort on the fox's face was enough to confirm everything he had told were true. But instead of expressing anger at Brian, he frowned sadly at the purple fox, clearly hurt by this revelation.

"Sorry if I have to ask the obvious, but could you explain to me why you and your friends would do such a thing?" John-9 asked, breaking the silence in the command center.

Brian looked at the tall, thin Grey, a bit hesitant to answer him after what he and his partner were attempting to do earlier in the lab. Still, it was best to answer his question and just hoped that everything will turn out alright in the end.

"You see, it all began last week…"

* * *

**Five minutes later…**

"…And that's pretty much it."

Once Brian finished explaining to John-9 and Parker-10, the two aliens couldn't help but be fascinated by the story and the reasons the purple fox gave to them. After pondering for a few minutes, Parker-10 finally spoke, having remained silence for a long time.

"That was such a story you gave us, Earthling. I still find it hard to believe me that you and your friends would do such a thing just to get rid of a fellow Earthling's obsession. I'll admit that I get annoyed by those kinds of things, but I wouldn't tell it to their face."

Brian could only sigh from that comment, quietly admitting what the short, squatted Grey is true: what he, Darwin and Anais did to Gumball was wrong and should have at least confronted the blue feline and informed him how they felt. But instead, they ended up hurting Gumball's feelings in the process and the trio isn't so sure whether or not he would forgive him.

"Now that the truth is finally out, are you two going to let us go back home?" Anais asked.

"Now that she mentions it, we really need to get going. Our parents are probably worried about us right now." Darwin added.

For a while, John-9 and Parker-10 pondered for a moment, while Brian and the Watterson siblings waited for them to answer. After what felt like forever, the two Greys turned to the abductees for their response.

"Alright, you kids, we'll let you all out." John-9 replied.

"You really mean it?" Brian asked with joy.

"But before we do that, we'll make sure that you and your pals will not remember a single thing about tonight's event, for the feline's sake." says Parker-10.

"What are you-" was all Brian could say, before both Greys put on some dark shades and pulled out pen-like devices from their pocket. Without warning, a bright light flashed from said devices on him and the Watterson siblings, before all four fell to the floor, completely unconscious. John-9 and Parker-10, meanwhile, inspected the unconscious kids and sighed with relief once they were certain that all four were completely knocked out.

"Thank goodness these Neuralyzers were quite effective." John-9 remarked. "Parker-10, lets send them back home and call it for a day."

"You've got it, John-9." The short, squatted Grey happily exclaimed, as he changed the coordination on the map, before activating the teleportation device, sending the four kids back to their planet.

* * *

The summer fields in Elmore was quiet and peaceful, a very beautiful scene on the outskirts of the town, as a gentle breeze slowly brushed itself past four certain kids, sleeping soundly on the ground; slowly, one by one, Gumball, Darwin, Anais and Brian woke up from their naps, their heads throbbing with pain, as they stretched their arms and back.

"Dude, what just happened?" asked Brian.

"I don't know, Brian, but I had this strange dream that we went into outer space and we were being chased by two actually aliens onboard." says Darwin.

"For some reason, it almost felt real to me." Gumball noted.

"I think we should try to figure out why we were out here to begin with." Anais pointed out. "I've had a feeling we were about to do something, yet I don't have the slightest clue what it was."

"I think we should discuss that later." says Brian. "Right now, let's get our stuff and head back home before our parents finds out."

Before either of them could have the chance to do so, a station wagon unexpectedly appeared out of nowhere, before coming to a complete stop on the summer fields. Then, two figures came out of the vehicle: one person recognized was Nicole, as she exited from the driver's side. The other figure that was coming out from the passenger's side was his mother: a purple fox with a lighter tone, with short, three strands of hair, wearing a pair of small glasses, along with a brown vest, a white sweater and a pair of blue jeans.

Judging from their expressions, it was clear that their mother were far from happy, as they made their way towards to their children.

"Where have you kids been?" Nicole asked. "Annie and I have been worried looking for you guys all night!"

"Also, can you four explain to us why you lie to me and your mother?" Annie questioned them with a stern look.

Gumball, Darwin, Anais and Brian looked at one another, hoping that they could come up with a good excuse for their mothers. But before either of them could come up with an answer, Gumball noticed an object sticking out behind a large tree. Curious, the blue feline quickly made his way to the tree and pulled it out. Much to his joy, it was the science fiction book that he read last week.

"Wow, I didn't know you guys were into science fiction too!" Gumball happily exclaimed, prompting Brian, Darwin and Anais to growl in exasperation, while their mothers looked on, confused by their children's reaction to Gumball's discovery.

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 17-The Graveyard_

_Gumball, Darwin, Brian and Carrie heads out to the graveyard after the young ghost tells an urban legend of its mysterious resident._

**Tidbits**

**-After fifteen chapters, I was finally able to give a name for Brian's mom, along with a description. So I'm please to welcome Annie O'Brian for the first time.**

**-For Annie O'Quinn, I envisioned Katey Sagal voicing her, due to portraying Cate S. Hennessy on "8 Simple Rules" (and for voicing Leela).**

**-I know I haven't used either Richard or Nicole Watterson for a long time. In fact, they were originally going to have a large role in part 2, until I made the changes for part 1. Thankfully, I was able to use one of them for this chapter.**

**Hope everyone enjoyed reading this chapter and see ya!**


	17. The Graveyard

**I just wanted to say thanks to Truth of Chaos for coming up with this chapter and I hope you fellow readers enjoyed reading it.**

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 17-The Graveyard

It was just a typical, average day at the school cafeteria, as Gumball, Darwin and Brian were sitting at their usual spot, eating their meals. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. As all three boys happily atethey failed to notice the presence of a certain, young ghost floating right behind them.

"You guys enjoying your meals?" asked Carrie, startling Gumball, Darwin and Brian in the process. Although the blue feline and the two-legged fish were relieved that it was Carrie, the purple fox, on the other hand, looked at her with an annoyed glance.

"Do you have to do that every time you come by to our table?"

"I can't help, I'm a ghost." Carrie bluntly responded. "Besides, I just drop by to say hi."

"Are you sure that why you came here?" Gumball asked the ghost. "If I recall, you ended up using my body for your junk food spree the other day."

"Don't worry about that, Gumball." Carrie assured the blue feline. "I'm not in the mood for food today anyway. Besides, today's menu doesn't look appetizing."

"That's a relief." says Darwin. "The last few days may have been uneventful, but then again, there hasn't been anything interesting going on in town."

"Oh, is that so?" Carrie asked with a grin, much to the boys' confusion.

"What are you talking about, Carrie?" Brian asked.

"If you must know…" Carrie began. "Let me tell you a story that has been passed down from each generation in Elmore…"

* * *

"_About a few hundred years ago, the graveyard on the outskirts of Elmore was once a thriving and lively area called Paradise, a place for young love and aspiring writers to write their most creative stories the world has ever seen."_

"_All over Paradise, there were young couples having a fun time, happily skipping on the ground holding hands, while writers everywhere sat near the tree for shades, solely concentrating on their writings in peace."_

"_But everything changed when the town's mayor bought the land right under their feet and declared it off-limits to all trespassers."_

"_In the midst of their idyllic outings, the Mayor of Elmore unexpectedly appeared out of nowhere in Paradise, presenting a sales contract to the shock and dismay of the individuals that were present."_

"_While the majority left Paradise and relocated elsewhere, one individual, calling himself the Grave-Keeper, choose to remain in the area and resigned himself to live off the land for the rest of his afterlife."_

"_Throughout the years, the place that was once called Paradise was reduced to its current deplorable state, leaving nothing but rows of graves, a gloomy, depressed atmosphere and the mysterious Grave-Keeper himself, his cloak covering his entire body, with two red eyes glowing beneath it and carrying a scythe whenever he goes."_

"_It's said that he would show up every night, under the full moon, terrorizing anyone who dared to trespass. Those who choose to ignore this warning suffered a fate worse than death."_

* * *

"So, what do you think, Brian?" Carrie asked.

Brian didn't respond right away and continued to look at the young ghost with doubt in his mind. Gumball and Darwin, on the other hand, were mortified by the story Carrie had just told them. They never imagined such an event had taken place in a town like Elmore and the idea that someone choose to live and die in a graveyard, of all places, was enough to leave them spooked.

After continuing to stare at Carrie for a long time, Brian was finally ready to answer the ghost's question.

"Are you sure that really happened, Carrie? It sounds more like a horror story written by an amateur."

"You're not afraid, are you Brian?" Carrie questioned the purple fox, looking at him with a smirk, earning a glare from Brian.

"If I know any better, I say you're challenging me."

"That's exactly what I have in mind. Tell you what, why don't you, me, Gumball and Darwin head to the graveyard and find out whether the tale is true or not. That is, if you guys are afraid of things that go bump in the night."

As soon as Carrie offered her challenge, Brian arched an eyebrow, somewhat interested by it, while Gumball and Darwin were aghast after hearing the ghost's offer. Their behavior didn't go unnoticed by Brian, as he suddenly becomes a bit worried of heading out to the graveyard all alone. Then, an idea hit him.

"Why don't I talk with the guys about this before we made a decision?" Brian asked, before him, Gumball and Darwin huddled up with one another to discuss Carrie's challenge.

"Come on, you guys, there's no way that story Carrie had told us about is true. I say we head out tonight to the graveyard and at least show her that were brave."

"But Brian…" a fearful Darwin began. "I don't think it's a good idea for us to head out of night. What if our parents managed to find out?"

"Let's worried about that later, Darwin." Brian replied, before he turned his attention to Gumball. "What about you, Gumball? Are you in or out?"

"I don't know, to be honest, Brian. Besides, give me one good reason why I should accept Carrie's challenge."

In response to the blue feline's comment, Brian, smiling slyly, knew one thing that would convince Gumball to accept Carrie's challenge.

"If you accepted Carrie's challenge and word spreads around the school about your bravery, you might make a good impression with Penny."

The moment Brian mentioned Penny's name, Gumball was struck in a hypnotic-like trance, envision the antler peanut praising him, kissing him on the lips and perhaps becoming his girlfriend in the process. Even if they didn't find the graveyard's mysterious resident, the fact that he stayed in such a scary place all night and coming out unscathed would be enough to win Penny's heart.

As Gumball continued to fantasize, Darwin, noticing the blue feline's mannerism, could only sigh in response. Knowing full well that voicing his objection would have little effect on the outcome, he decided to just tag along with them, if only because Gumball and Brian happened to be his friends.

'_So it's settled then.'_ Brian thought, before him, Gumball and Darwin turned their attention back to Carrie, waiting patiently for one of them to answer.

"We're in, Carrie." was the answer that Brian gave to the young ghost, much to her satisfaction.

"That's great to hear." says Carrie. "I'll see you guys at the stroke of midnight."

With that, the young ghost teleported herself out of their sights, while Brian, Gumball and a reluctant Darwin looked forward to tonight's challenge. The purple fox was determined to make Carrie eat her own words out.

* * *

Night had finally descended on the town of Elmore, as the stars shined brightly and the moon glowed in the sky, even on such a gloomy and depressing area as the graveyard. But on this particular night, it was going to be visited by a few lucky people.

After making sure that everyone at their respective household were sleeping peacefully, Gumball, Darwin and Brian quietly snuck their way out of their homes and biked their way to the graveyard near the stroke of midnight, just as they had planned. Not surprisingly, Carrie was waiting for them the moment they arrived, somewhat impressed that the boys actually made it on time.

"I've had to be honest with you guys…" Carrie began. "I thought for sure that you three would flake out at the last minute."

"There's no way none of us would back out." Brian replied. "Besides, I only came here just to prove that you're so-called story is just fiction."

"Be my guest then, Brian." Carrie said to the fox. "Anyway you guys, follow me, if you dare."

Doing as they were told, Gumball, Brian and Darwin followed the ghost around the graveyard, leading them to who knows where. The purple fox doesn't know what Carrie is planning, but whatever it is that she had in stored for him and his friends, he was determined to keep his guard up at all cost.

'_As soon as you make the first move, I'll expose this charade right away.'_

While Brian pondered in his own thoughts, Darwin, still nervous and completely afraid due the atmosphere of the graveyard, finally talked after what felt like a long time.

"Um, Carrie…" Darwin began. "Where exactly are we going?"

"Now that Darwin mentions it, you haven't exactly told us what we're going to do all night." says Gumball, as he made note on Darwin's statement.

"Oh, that's simple, Gumball. We're going to locate the Grave-Keeper's shack and pay him a visit. I heard that if you don't greet him properly, he might steal your soul forever."

When Carrie brought the Grave-Keeper's name, Darwin's body turned white almost immediately, as chills spread through his spine, leaving him utterly mortified of meeting this Grave-Keeper in person. His fear didn't go unnoticed from both Gumball and Brian, as both boys come to his aide, hoping to calm him down enough to continue on.

"Darwin, you have to relax. Carrie's probably just saying that so you can run off." says Brian.

"Besides buddy, even if we do find this shack, this Grave-Keeper guy, or whoever he is, might not be there at all." Gumball insisted to the two-legged fish.

The boys' words were enough to calm down Darwin, as the color slowly came back to his body and some of his worries melted away. Even so, the two-legged fish remained nervous and afraid, as he still wasn't looking forward to their plans at all. Carrie, meanwhile, continued to watch the scene with a calmed and relaxed demeanor, while also being somewhat amused at the same time.

'_I really can't wait to see the look on their faces when is this over.'_ Carrie thought, before she realized something very important on her person.

'_Rats! It looks like I forgot to bring the camera with me.'_ Not wanting to miss the one and only opportunity, Carrie quickly turned to the boys with an excuse she hope would bring her some time.

"Hey guys, I need to head back to my place very quickly. I, um, need to get the flashlight just in case."

Once the ghost finished up her excuse, Carrie immediately teleported herself back home, leaving Gumball, Darwin and Brian with no choice but to wait until she came back. It was at the moment Carrie left that something unexpected happen in the graveyard: out of nowhere, foggy mists dispersed all over the place, confusing the three of them.

'_That's strange…'_ Gumball thought. _'There weren't any weather reports like this tonight. Then again, they were never-'_

Gumball's thoughts weren't interrupted by Darwin's fearful shriek, prompting him and Brian to turn to Darwin, startled and concern by the two-legged fish's action.

"What's wrong there, buddy?" Gumball asked.

"Did something scare you?" Brian questioned Darwin.

In response, the two-legged fish simply pointed behind them. As soon as Gumball and Brian turned around, they couldn't believe what they were staring at: standing in right in front of them was a mysterious, hooded figure, his body covered in an aged, brown cloak, leaving only red, glowing eyes coming out from his obscured his face. He was also holding what appeared to be a scythe. It didn't took either of the boys to realize that this mysterious figure is none other than the Grave-Keeper himself.

His mere presence was enough for both Gumball and Darwin to become immensely afraid, holding onto one another as tightly as they could, seeking the other for comfort. Brian, on the other hand, was hardly impressed by this scenery; in fact, he was far more amused and shocked his friend by slowly approaching him.

"Brian, what are you doing?!" Darwin shouted. "Get back here this instant!"

"Don't you recall what Carrie said earlier?! He might steal your soul unless you give him a proper greeting!" Gumball pointed out, before Brian turned around and looked at his friends with an annoyed look.

"Come on you guys, that story never happened to begin with." Brian adamantly insisted. "For all we know, this 'Grave-Keeper' might be Carrie herself in disguise and I'm going to prove it."

Once Brian made his statement clear, he returned his attention to the Grave-Keeper and resumed approaching the individual once more, as Gumball and Darwin continued to look on, their bodies frozen with fear and anxiety. As soon as the purple fox finally approached the hooded figure, Brian began to calmly examine him from head-to-toe, inspecting the Grave-Keeper with much detail.

"I have to admit, that was an impressive stunt you pulled on us earlier, Carrie." Brian commented. "Then again, I always suspected that you were going to scare us sooner or later."

Expecting to hear a response right away, Brian was given nothing but silence from the Grave-Keeper. Undaunted, Brian continued to questioned 'Carrie', hoping to get some confession out of her, while the hooded figure continued to silently stare at him.

"Come on Carrie, you can't continue to fool us with the silent treatment. Why don't you just confess that the whole story was nothing more than fiction and just call it a night?"

"Who are you talking to?" a certain, cold voice asked.

"Not now Carrie; can't you see that I'm…talking…to…you…"

Brian trailed off the moment the ghost spoke out of the blue, prompting the purple fox to turn around to see Carrie floating right next to Gumball and Darwin. Shocked to see the ghost right next to the duo, Brian fearfully turned to see the Grave-Keeper continue staring right down at him, before he turned his attention back to Carrie and back. Once it was clear to the purple fox that Carrie and the Grave-Keeper was not the same person, his entire boy turned pale, his eyes became completely blank and his jaws hanged out, before he fainted, collapsing to the ground, as his friends looked on horror.

"Oh my goodness, Brian's going to lose his soul!" Darwin shouted.

"Then what are we waiting for?! Let's help him out right now!" Gumball pointed out, before him, Darwin and Carrie rushed towards their friend's aide and picked him off the ground and ran to the opposite direction, just before the Grave-Keeper could make a single move. They didn't know which direction to go, but anywhere is better than facing certain doom with the hooded figure.

* * *

**10 minutes later…**

Gumball, Darwin and Carrie have been traversing the graveyard for quite some time, with the boys carrying an unconscious Brian, while Carrie floated around to survey the area, hoping to find their way out. The task proved far more difficult than she imagined, as the fogs were becoming increasingly denser, making it impossible to see which path she and her friends should take.

"Carrie, what's taking you so long?!" Gumball shouted at the ghost. "I thought you know the way out of this place!"

"This wasn't going to be easier than I thought." Carrie replied. "The fog is way too dense to see which path we should take. For all we know, we could just be going around in circle."

"Then why don't you just teleport us out of here instead?" asked Darwin.

"Darwin, it's that simple." Carrie started to explain. "I'm still trying to get the hang of my ability and in case you don't recall, my accuracy is quite low. Even if I do manage to successfully teleport you guys, I have to concentrate and visualize the area with specific details. Otherwise, we might end up in another part of the world."

"Darn! I knew it was too good to be true." Gumball exclaimed. "Well, things can't get any worse."

Just then, the wind blew increasingly hard out of nowhere, leaving the group quite bewildered, before they turned to the direction of the wind and discovered, to their horror, that the Grave-Keeper was right behind them. Terrified by his presence, the trio immediately ran to another direction of the graveyard, while continuing to drag Brian's unconscious form along with them.

'_Oh man! I wish I have kept my mouth shut!'_ Gumball thought, as him, Darwin and Carrie, alongside the unconscious Brian, continued to run for their lives. But as they made a sharp turn to the corner, the Grave-Keeper mysteriously appeared out of nowhere.

"What the…? When did he-how did he?" was all Darwin could say at the moment.

Not wanting to stick around and find out for themselves, the kids turned to another section of the graveyard, only to find the mysterious hooded figure waiting patiently for them. Startled by his presence, they continued to travel from one area after another, but no matter where they went, the Grave-Keeper showed up, waiting for them to arrive. By the time the four made their way out of the area, their energies were completely exhausted, especially for Gumball and Darwin, since they had to carry around the unconscious purple fox all night.

"I don't know how much more we could take this." Gumball commented.

"I know what you mean, Gumball." says Darwin. "My flippers are getting tired of carrying Brian around. It would be a lot better if we find a way to wake him up."

"Allow me." Carrie spoke, before she entered into Brian's open mouth. Before Gumball or Darwin could do anything, Brian suddenly shot up forward, completely awake, before Carrie exited his body.

"Dude, are you alright?" Gumball asked, as he and Darwin came to the fox's aide.

"I'm fine, Gumball. It's just that, I had a weird dream that I was talking to some hooded person whom I thought was Carrie and-"

"Brian, you weren't dreaming at all. That really happened ten minutes earlier." Darwin replied.

"I thought so." Brian commented, before he suddenly began to panic. "What do we do then?! I don't want my soul being taken!"

"Calm down for a moment, Brian. We just need to stick our heads together and think of a good plan." Carrie said to the purple fox.

"You better make it quick then, Carrie." Brian informed the young ghost.

"Why?"

In response, the purple fox pointed to the direction in right behind Carrie, prompting, as well as Gumball and Darwin to turn around and much to their dismay, the Grave-Keeper was once again not far behind. His sudden experience shocked them so much; they ended up falling down into a shallow grave six feet below. Carrie floated all the way down, concern for the boys' well-beings.

"Is everyone alright?" a worried Carrie asked.

"Yeah, we're good. Thanks for asking, Carrie." Gumball replied.

"That still doesn't change the fact that the Grave-Keeper is heading right towards us." Brian pointed out. "We need to get out of here and fast."

"But how are we going to do that?" asked Darwin. "The dirt is too slippery for us to get a good grip. Even if we do get up, that Grave-Keeper fellow will be waiting for us. Wait a minute…I got it!"

"Got what?" Gumball and Brian asked simultaneously. Before they knew it, Darwin turned to Carrie, as if he had found the answer to their situation.

"Carrie, this could be a good time to test your teleportation ability on us."

"Wait a minute, Darwin, are you serious?!" Carrie shouted at the two-legged fish. "I've already told you that I'm still getting the hang of it."

"This is no time for arguments, Carrie!" Darwin retorted. "This could be our one and only shot!"

"But-" was all Carrie could say before the four could feel the rush of air coming right at them. There was no doubt in their mind that the Grave-Keeper had caught up with them and it'll be a matter of time before he comes for them and seals their doom.

"I'm going to have to agree with Darwin on this one, Carrie." says Brian. "Just at least attempt to teleport us, as long as it's not here."

"Alright, you guys. I'll give it shot."

Taking a deep breath, Carrie huddled the boys with each other, before closing her eyes, concentrating on her ability as hard as she could. The boys, in turned, had their eyes closed as well, hoping that this plan of theirs would work. Soon, everyone was enveloped by a bright glow and before they all knew what was happening, they mysteriously disappeared in a flash of a light, transported to who knows where.

* * *

In a lone, shabby shack, with badly decorated interiors and even awful looking exteriors, a flash of light suddenly burst out of nowhere, dropping a certain blue cat, a two-legged fish, a purple fox and a young ghost on top of a worn-out mattress. Once all four kids were certain that they were someplace safe, Gumball, Darwin, Brian and Carrie rejoiced, relieved that they were able to escape the Grave-Keeper's wrath.

"Wow Carrie, that was amazing." Gumball praised the young ghost.

"No kidding, I knew you could pull it off." Darwin added.

"Oh, it was nothing." Carrie says, as she rubbed her head sheepishly.

"Guys, as much as I enjoyed praising Carrie for her help, we need to get out of this graveyard now." Brian pointed out.

Agreeing with the purple fox, the four made their way to the lone door. But just before they could reach the knob, the door suddenly burst open, revealing the Grave-Keeper standing right in front of them, prompting all four to scream with horror, before they slowly backed away from the figure.

"Please, Mr. Grave-Keeper sir, spare our young lives!" Gumball fearfully pleaded.

"We're so sorry we trespassed in the first place! Just don't suck our souls or anything!" Brian shouted.

As the four kids raised their arms for defense, embracing whatever action the Grave-Keeper would take, what happened next took them by complete surprise: he sighed and relaxed his pose.

"You kids could relax now. I'm just glad that everyone is safe." the Grave-Keeper spoke in a deep voice.

Shocked to hear the Grave-Keeper's response, Gumball, Darwin, Brian and Carrie lowered their arms down, clearly surprised that this hooded figure, who had been chasing them all night, was acting rather kind to them. Something wasn't adding up at all.

"Excuse me for stating the obvious…" Brian began. "But why were you so concern for our well-beings all of sudden?"

"Now that he mentions it, you've been chasing us all night." Darwin pointed out.

"Only to make sure that none of you suffered any serious injuries. That and I wanted to escort all of you out of the graveyard safely." the Grave-Keeper explained.

"That still doesn't explain why you're holding a scythe to begin with." Carrie pointed out.

"I'm an old man, little lady. My ancient body isn't what it used to be. Plus, the blade is made out of plastic."

"Wait a minute, so you're saying that we're not going to suffer a fate worse than death nor have our souls taken away forever for not given you a proper greeting?" Gumball asked, calming down a bit. The Grave-Keeper, however, didn't respond to the blue feline's question right away. Instead, he stared at Gumball with a somewhat aggravated look on his face.

"You and your friends have been listening to that story, haven't you?"

In response, Gumball, Darwin, Brian and Carrie nodded their heads in agreement, confirming the Grave-Keeper's hunch. The hooded figure then took a deep breath before he began to talk to the four.

"I don't like giving out long, detailed explanations, so I'll get to the point. Paradise was never real to begin with. In fact, the whole place was destined to be a graveyard to begin with. Plus, I just moved here a few hundred years ago. As for the story itself, it was written by an amateur writer, just trying to make a living. Does that answer everyone's question?"

As soon as the Grave-Keeper finished his words, Gumball, Darwin, Brian and Carrie nodded their heads in agreement, much to the hooded figure's satisfaction.

"That's good to know. Now, if you don't mind, I'll lead you out of this place." The Grave-Keeper spoke, turning around and heading out the door, beckoning the four of them to follow, as he escorted them back to the graveyard's entrance.

* * *

After what felt like a very long time, Gumball, Darwin, Brian and Carrie finally made their way to the entrance of the graveyard, courtesy of the Grave-Keeper himself. After bidding him farewell and departing on good terms, the Grave-Keeper returned to the mist, disappearing from their sight as he headed back to his shack, as the kids walked back to their bikes, reflecting on tonight's events.

"Well, that was quite eventful." Brian commented.

"No kidding." Gumball remarked. "Who would have known that story we just heard was nothing but a writer's fabrication?"

"I'm just glad that story was never real to begin with." says a relieved Darwin. "Plus, that Grave-Keeper guy was quite friendly."

"It wasn't what I have in mind for tonight…" Carrie began. "But even so, I did manage to get this nice picture of Brian."

The young ghost then showed the boys the picture of a petrified Brian lying on the ground; the purple fox was as white as snow, his eyes completely blanked and his jaws hanging out. Brian has no doubt that Carrie had taken that picture minutes earlier, as he could hear Gumball and Darwin trying to hold back their laughter.

"Ha-ha, very funny." Brian replied sarcastically at Carrie, looking quite smug. "Even so, I still know that story was nothing but a writer's imagination all along."

"Sure you did, Brian. But try saying that to everyone else back at school when I show them this picture tomorrow." says Carrie.

"Don't even think about it, Carrie." Brian said to the ghost, before she laughed and started floating off, prompting the fox to chase the young ghost.

As the purple fox desperately tried to get his paws on the picture and his friends laughing on the ground, unbeknownst to the group, an individual was staring at them from a long distance, covered almost entirely in a blue cloak, while one of his skeletal hand was holding a scythe. After no more than a few seconds, the hooded figure smiled and walked back inside the fogs, disappearing completely and leaving no trail of his existence.

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 18-The Clueless_

_Brian's day hits a snag when his father, at Annie's insistence, decided to hang out with his only son._

**Tidbits**

**-This chapter idea was requested by Truth of Chaos and as such, I wanted to give him full credit for it and I wanted to thank him for coming up with such a great idea!**

**-It's been a while since I have done a chapter with Brian interacting with one of the supporting cast. Still, I hope to do something similar for future chapters to come.**

**-For the Grave-Keeper, I have Kevin Grevioux in mind, due to his role as Raze in Underworld, but also for his voice acting, such as his role as Black Beetle in Young Justice.**

**I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and as always, let me know what you guys think so far.**

**Thanks and see ya next chapter!**


	18. The Clueless

**I wanted to thank Sal and Danny-of-TAWOG for giving out their suggestions for this chapter.**

**Anyway, read and enjoy!**

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 18-The Clueless

It was almost midnight at the town of Elmore, as a lone, red Scion xB drove in the quiet neighborhood, until it finally made its way to the O'Quinn residence, parking in the driveway. Once the vehicle came to a complete halt, a figure comes out of the driver's seat: he was a grey wolf, wearing a white dress shirt, a green tie and a pair of blue trousers.

'_Man, what a long day at work! I'm really glad the weekend is around the corner.'_ the tired wolf thought, as he stretched his arms and back, before quietly entering his house.

After making sure that everyone was sleeping soundly, he mad his way up the stairs and into the master bedroom with little effort. But as he opened the door, he was unexpectedly greeted by his wife Annie, still in her casual attire, sitting on the bed and staring at her husband with concern, much to his surprise.

"Oh…hey Annie dear." the grey wolf greeted his wife. "I just got back from work right now and I was going to get some rest right."

Hoping to hear a quick response from his wife, the grey wolf received only silence instead, leaving him understandably worried. After what felt like forever, Annie, taking a deep breath, finally talked to her anxious husband.

"Gordon, we need to talk."

Gordon looked at Annie, as the anxious look from his face was replaced by concern. What was it that his wife wanted to discuss him about? Whatever it is, it sounded very important and he might as well hear from her now.

"Annie, did I do something wrong? I'm sure whatever it is, I'll do anything to make it up."

"You're not doing anything wrong at all, hon." Annie assured her husband. "In fact, everything is fine. I just wanted to talk to you about Brian."

The moment Annie brought up their only son surprised Gordon, as he silently panicked about Brian. It had been almost two months since they moved to Elmore and all of a sudden, his wife wanted to talk about their son. Did Brian get into trouble at school? Had his only son injured himself? Either way, the only way he could get some answer was to ask his wife.

"Sorry if I had to state the obvious dear, but why do you want to talk about Brian in the middle of the night? Can we talk about him tomorrow?"

"Gordon, I think this is the right time and place to talk about Brian right now." Annie insisted. "At the very least, try to stay awake to hear me out."

Gordon sighed, as he sat right next to Annie, doing his best to stay awake and listen to his wife as best as he could.

"Hon, I understand that you need to go to your work to pay the taxes for the house and keep a roof on our heads, but I'm just worried that you're not making enough effort to spend time with Brian."

"I do spent time with Brian when I have the chance, dear." Gordon said defensively.

"But you only spent time with him on the weekends." Annie pointed out. "Look Gordon, all I'm saying is that I want you to try to make some more time with Brian. That's all I'm asking for."

Once Annie was done finishing her sentence, Gordon pondered for a moment, thinking what his wife had just told him. Gordon had to admit, he had been pretty busy on the weekdays and the longest time that he had ever spent time with his son was just over three hours. Even so, he wanted to at least make up for the long hours he had for his work. With that in mind, the grey wolf turned to his wife, ready to give out his answer.

"Alright Annie, starting tomorrow, I'll hang out with Brian, just to make up for lost time." Gordon said with a smile.

"That's all I wanted to hear." Annie replied, happy that her husband was giving some thought to it. "Anyway, it's getting late dear. We'll discuss more about this tomorrow."

With those words being spoken, she and her husband prepared to get some good night rest, as tomorrow was coming right around the corner.

* * *

Morning has come at the O'Quinn residence, as Brian got out of his bed, dressed in his casual attire and made it downstairs to the kitchen. After all, it was the same routine that he and his parents would always have on the weekdays: his father would leave for work, while his mother would make breakfast for themselves before dropping him off to school. It was a routine that Brian was accustomed to.

Or at least, that's what he thought until…

"Good morning son."

Brian paused in his tracks and spotted a certain grey wolf sitting on the kitchen table, happily sipping a cup of coffee checking the latest news on a laptop. After doing a double take, the purple fox slowly approached Gordon, bewildered by his unexpected presence in the house.

"Dad, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be getting to work right away?" asked Brian.

"Oh, don't worry about that Brian. I got a new schedule starting this week. Plus, I decided to take the day off and I want to spend some time with you." Gordon explained.

"That…sounds very good, dad…" Brian began, becoming uncomfortable by his father's decision. "But in case you have forgotten, I have school today and I don't think we'll have enough time to spend time with one another."

What came out of Gordon's mouth, however, left Brian visibly mortified on the spot.

"No big deal, son. I'll just tag along with you then."

As soon as the grey wolf gave his answer to his son, Brian froze with shock and fear, horrified that his father is coming with him to school. What his father had in mind for today, this would not end well with him at all.

* * *

It was just another typical day for Gumball and Darwin, as the duo, along with their fellow students, arrived at Elmore Junior High on time, as the school bus dropped them off and the Watterson brothers went off to their lockers, all the while waiting for Brian to show up at any given time.

"So Darwin, how do you think today will turn out?" Gumball asked his younger brother.

"The day had just begun, Gumball. But I think we should wait for Brian to show up and we'll see how the day will turn out." Darwin replied.

"Speaking of Brian, where is he? He's never been this late." Gumball muttered.

On cue, one of the main doors to the school opened, as Brian entered the school with a discomforting look. Curious by his demeanor, Gumball and Darwin were about to question their friend when, much to their surprise, an adult grey wolf was tagging along with the purple fox, wearing similar attires that Richard wore all the time, as he happily strolled along with Brian.

As soon as Brian made his way to his friends, he almost immediately answered their question right away, as if he had sensed their curiosity on the spot.

"I know what you guys are going to ask, so I'll just answer them right away. Guys, this is Gordon O'Quinn, my dad. Dad, these are Gumball and Darwin Watterson, my best friends."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you two." Gordon said to the Watterson brothers, before shaking their paw and flipper, respectively. "Say, are you two fine with me tagging along? I always wanted to know more about this school."

Gumball and Darwin looked at their friend and back at Gordon, the former very worried about what kind of response they would give out. Sensing their friend's anxiety, the Watterson brothers then turned their attention back to Gordon, ready to give out their answer.

"Sure, I guess it's alright." Gumball reluctantly replied.

"If it makes you happy, then we're happy as well." Darwin assured the grey wolf, despite being uncomfortable by the idea.

"So it's settled then." says Gordon. "You boys just pretend I'm not here, while I just walk around and admire what so unique about this school."

With that said, both Brian and the Watterson brothers, along with Gordon, began walking down the hallway, with the boys doing their best to ignore the stares and curiosity from their classmates. As the trio made their way to Miss Simian's class, Gumball decided to whisper to Brian, hoping that the purple fox could offer some explanation.

"Brian, not to be rude or anything, but why is your dad here to begin with?"

"Also, why does he want to hang out with you even though this is the weekdays?" Darwin asked.

"It's a long and complicated story..." was all Brian could say to his friends, before a certain old, cantankerous voice spoke out of nowhere.

"Stop right there this instant, boys!" Miss Simian shouted, prompting, Brian, as well as his father and his friends, to stop in their tracks, before the old baboon resumed speaking to them. "Who is this fellow right there and why is he on school ground?"

It was then that Gordon confronted Miss Simian and offered her an explanation about his presence.

"I apologized for my presence, ma'am. My name is Gordon O'Quinn and I was wondering if it's alright if I see how well my son does in your class?"

Miss Simian, though puzzled by such a request, looked at Brian, who was looking nervously at his dad. Then, the old baboon gave herself a sinister smile; if there's anything that makes her really happy, it's seeing the misery on her students' face and Brian was no exception

"By all means, Mr. O'Quinn, come join us for our session." Miss Simian then let out a cackling glee, leaving Brian rather uncomfortable by the old baboon's response. He could only pray that this day could not go from bad to worse, as long as his father doesn't do anything to embarrass him.

* * *

Normally in Miss Simian's class, most of the students would be busy studying today's lesson. But before they had a chance to do so, they noticed the presence of Gordon O'Quinn, standing right next to a rather uncomfortable Brian. After Miss Simian explained everything about the grey wolf's appearance in their classroom, her students greeted Gordon before the old baboon turned to the board and prepared to teach the class.

"Now that everything's settled, this is what will be learning today…"

While Miss Simian was discussing about today's subject, Brian, after making sure that his father was focusing his attention on the board, whispered to his friends, hoping they could him some advice regarding his situation.

"Guys, has this ever happened to you two before?"

"If I recall, mom did something similar with me and Darwin a while ago." Gumball whispered back. "But all she did was made things worse due to her meddling."

"Oh, I can hardly wait for that to happen." Brian replied sarcastically, both unenthusiastic and dismay by the blue feline's statement.

"Don't worry about it, Brian. Mrs. Mom eventually got the hint and stop meddling in our lives." Darwin assured the fox. "Besides, your dad is like Mr. Dad, but goofier and clueless."

"Is that so?" Brian questioned the two-legged fish. "Alright then, how do you and your brother deal a clueless dad then?"

"That's easy, Brian…" Gumball began. "We tie sausages to a plunger, stick it on his head, get the tape recorder and we just chill."

Brian looked at Gumball, completely dumbfounded by the answer he had just received. What kind of response did he just receive right now? There was no way it would work on his father at all; sure, he comes off as a goofball, but Gordon, unlike Richard, was quite smart and would catch on to his antics right off the bat.

Just as Brian attempted to rebuff Gumball's answer, the purple fox noticed Miss Simian staring right at him, with a big smirk on her face, as if she waiting for him to drop his guard at the right moment.

"Well Brian, is there something that you want to say to the rest of the class?" the old baboon asked with sheer amusement.

Before Brian could offer an explanation to his teacher, his father began to offer one for him to Miss Simian instead.

"Don't worry about that, Miss Simian. Fluffy Tail was just discussing with his friends about today's lessons, that's all."

"Ha! Mr. O'Quinn just called Brian 'Fluffy Tail' just now." Banana Joe stated the obvious, before him and the entire class burst into laughter, prompting Brian to cover his face with his own paws, while Gumball and Darwin tried to console their dismayed friend. All the purple fox could is just pray that the rest of the day would just end.

* * *

After another hour of lesson at Miss Simian's class, Brian, along with his friends and fellow classmates, made their way to the school gym for PE and much to their dismay, they were going to play a game of dodge ball against one another. It was bad enough that they have to face Tina and her gang, who always excelled at dodge ball, but for Brian, it was his father that proved to be the real challenge, as the two were talking about one another on the sidelines.

"No Brian, you can't go out there without safety." says Gordon.

"But dad, it's just a game of dodge ball." Brian explained to his father. "Sure it can be rough, but it's not like anyone here actually suffer any real injuries."

At that moment, both Brian and Gordon heard a few loud thuds out of nowhere, prompting the two to see Gumball and Darwin on the gym floor, their bodies covered in dirt and bruises from head-to-toe, no doubt from the dodge balls that Tina and her friends had thrown not so long ago.

"I stand corrected." Gordon said to his son. "Now if you don't mind, I want you to stay still, so I can make sure that you're suited up."

"Suited up? Dad, what are you t-"

Before Brian could even finish his sentence, the grey wolf suddenly dashed out of the gym, leaving a trail of dust in the process. Several seconds later, Gordon suddenly returned and the next thing the purple fox knew, he found himself in the center of his father's tornado. After what felt like forever, the tornado finally died down, as the grey wolf looked at his son with a smile.

"Well Brian, what do you think?" the grey wolf asked his son.

But Brian, however, didn't respond to his father's question right away. Much to his dismay, Gordon ended up putting too much safety gears on his body and as a result, he ended up looking like an umpire. It didn't help that most of said safety gear were too heavy for the purple fox's body to maintain.

Brian tried to explain to his father about the weight he was currently carrying on him, but the helmet muffled his objection, preventing Gordon from hearing his son's complaints.

"Yeah, I'm glad that gears suits you real well." said Gordon, clearly misinterpreting his son's muffled words. "Now go out there and have fun."

Gordon then shoved his son to the gym floor before quickly heading back to the bleachers to watch Brian play, leaving the purple fox on his own, staring at Tina and her gang with discomfort, the former smiling with a hint of sadistic joy.

"This is going to be real good." Tina remarked, before her, Jamie and Anton prepared to throw their dodge balls at the suited-up fox, aiming squarely right where he is standing.

'_This is not going to end well.'_ Brian thought, before he closed his eyes, waiting for the projectiles to come right at him and wanting to get through PE as quickly as possible.

* * *

**1 Hour Later…**

Brian, along with Gumball, Darwin and his father, sat at their usual spot in the school cafeteria, though the purple fox was hardly in a good mood today. Most of his body suffered many bruises from both the safety gear and the constant dodge balls that Tina and her pals threw right at him during PE, with one giving Brian a black eye in the process.

But that was nothing compare to what he had to endure during the last hour. In history class, Gordon began to question Mr. Small about his teaching ability, which resulted in an argument between the two. Things got much worse when the grey wolf decided to file a complaint to Principal Brown about Mr. Small's behavior, though Brian managed to convince him otherwise. Recently, Gordon almost got into an argument with Rocky about the cafeteria's foods, but backed off when he learned what today's specialty was.

Brian didn't know how much more he could take of his father's actions. With each passing minute, the anger within him was slowly boiling like a pressure cooker and it was becoming difficult to contain it. At this rate, it could practically blow its lid off at any given moment.

'_I hope this day end soon, because I want to forget it ever happened!'_

While Brian angrily stirred his cafeteria foods on the tray, Gordon, oblivious to his son's displeasure, was talking to the Watterson brothers much more about the purple fox, as the two boys listened on to the grey wolf's stories.

"So that's what Brian did when he was a toddler?" asked a bewildered Darwin.

"Believe it or not Darwin, its true. Brian would always go around the house playing superheroes with only his makeshift cape and in his underwear."

While Gordon was telling this to the two-legged fish, Brian could hear the snickering coming out from some of his fellow students, causing to grip the fork tightly and angrily stirred his meals much faster.

"What about that other story you told us earlier?" Gumball questioned Gordon.

"That's true too, Gumball. Back when Brian began drawing during first grade, he made his first painting using his face."

When the other students heard that, their snickering grew louder, causing Brian to rapidly stir his food, his face turning bright red in anger and growling in frustration, as he felt the blood pressure rising in his body.

"Is it really true that Brian had his first crush in elementary school?" Darwin asked once more.

"Indeed. As a matter of fact, I think her name was-"

"**That's ENOUGH already!"** Brian shouted, before slamming the fork on the table as hard as he could, much to the shock of his friends, classmates and especially his father, who was taken aback from his son's behavior.

"Don't you see what you're doing?! For the last several hours, you've done nothing but embarrassed me all day!"

"But Brian-" was all Gordon could say before being cut off by his son's words.

"You've been calling me by that nickname, dressing me up with that ridiculous safety gear and most of all, getting into an argument with one of the faculty members!"

"I could explain-"

"Then you have to tell my friends and practically everyone about my days in elementary school and that is the last thing I wanted to hear at all!"

"If you would just-"

"Dad, just do me a favor and go home! You've done enough already!"

Once Brian said those words to Gordon, the grey wolf felt like an arrow had just pierced through his heart. Shocked and deeply hurt by his son's words, Gordon, his head hung in shame, got up from the table and exited down to the hallway.

Once Gordon was finally out of his view, the anger that was boiling within Brian slowly disappeared and before long, regret and guilt took its place, as the purple fox was horrified what he had done to his father.

'_Great Brian, look what you have done!'_ Brian thought, before he got out of his seat and went after his father, hoping he could find Gordon and quickly apologize for his behavior.

* * *

For the last several minutes, the purple fox checked each part of the hallway, hoping he could locate Gordon, but so far, he had no luck. He checked almost everywhere he could possibly think of, from some of the classes he had taken, the schoolyard and even the men's bathroom, but to no avail. At this point, Brian came to the realization that his father had already left, much to his dismay.

'_Aw man! I'm too late!'_

"Brian! Are you alright?"

The purple fox turned around to see Gumball and Darwin heading to his direction, before they stopped right in their track, sweating madly and panting very heavily from their running.

"Hey guys." Brian gloomily greeted his friends.

"Brian, what's wrong?" Darwin asked.

"Yeah, why the long face?" Gumball questioned the purple fox.

Despite some hesitation on his part, Brian took a deep breath and before offering his friends an explanation.

"Guys, I couldn't find my dad anywhere in this school. I searched almost every place that I could think of, but I couldn't even find a lead. I wish I never had told him off like that in front of everyone."

"Don't worry, Brian. I'm sure he'll accept your apology." Gumball assured his friend.

"But what if he doesn't want to accept it?" a doubtful Brian asked.

"Don't be so sure about that until you tell him." Darwin pointed out.

"Thanks, you guys. I should really take a chance." says Brian, somewhat relaxed by their words.

"Sorry to break this moment, but we have a routine to maintain." a voice rudely spoke out, prompting Brian and the Watterson brothers to turn around and much to their dismay, they saw Tina, Jamie and Anton standing right in front of them.

"Don't you think that beating me up at PE was enough?" Brian asked, clearly not in the mood to deal with them.

"That was just the tip of the iceberg, furball." Tina replied. "But Jamie's right. You better hand over half of your lunch money…or else!"

"Come on Tina. Give Brian a break on this one. His day was already bad enough." Gumball insisted.

"Gumball's got a point. Can't you guys just do it another time?" asked Darwin.

"It doesn't matter whether furball here has a good or bad day. Either he coughs up half of his lunch money or he's going to get a knuckle sandwich." Jamie remarked.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I've got more important things to worry about." says Brian.

"You just made the worst decision of your life." Tina said, as she prepared to give Brian, as well as Gumball and Darwin, a beating they'll never forget.

"Stop right there!" a voice shouted out of nowhere, prompting everyone to turn around and saw Gordon behind them, as the grey wolf slowly approached the t-rex with a serious expression on his face.

"Dad!" Brian happily said.

"What do you want, wolf? Can't you see I'm in the middle of something?" Tina asked rudely to Gordon.

"Young lady, I suggest that you and your friends stop picking on my son and his friends and apologize to them this instance." Gordon demanded, prompting Tina and her gang to laugh off the grey wolf's words, before the t-rex reared her head to Gordon's face.

"What if we don't feel like it? What are you going to do then?"

Suddenly, Gordon grabbed Tina's nose with a hard grip, leaving her and everyone surprised. But before the dinosaur could have a chance to react, she found herself forcefully staring at the grey wolf's stern face and began to talk to Tina once more.

"Let me rephrase what I just said: I suggest that you and your friends stop picking on my son and his friends and apologize to them now."

As soon as Gordon was finished with his sentence, he released his grip from the terrified dinosaur, before he turned around and glares at Jamie and Anton, both shocked and astonished by the grey wolf's action, before all three turned to Brian and the Watterson brothers, ready to give out their apologies to them.

"W-w-we're sorry for picking on you guys." Tina bashfully apologized.

"Y-y-yeah, we were j-just kidding, t-that's all." Jamie nervously insisted.

"…What they said." was all Anton could say.

Once Tina and her friends finished apologizing to them, the trio quickly ran passed by them as fast as they could, before disappearing from around the corner. Brian and his friends, meanwhile, stared at Gordon with shock and awe, stunned what the grey wolf did just now.

"Are you boys alright?" Gordon asked with genuine concern.

"We're fine, dad. It's just that, what you did back there, that was amazing." Brian said to his father.

"Oh, it was nothing." says Gordon, rubbing his head sheepishly.

"Are you kidding, Mr. O'Quinn? You're the only person besides mom who can intimidate the likes of Tina." Gumball excitedly exclaimed.

"Yeah, if it wasn't for you, we would have been goners." Darwin pointed out. "It's such a shame that no one was there to see this."

"Well, that explains why everyone was watching the whole thing behind us." Gordon noted, prompting both Brian and the Watterson brothers to turn around and saw their fellow classmates behind the grey wolf. Before long, some of them approached Gordon, both impressed and amazed by his action against Tina and her friends.

"Wow that was amazing!"

"How did you do that?"

"Were you afraid back there?"

"Can you teach me how to do that?"

Surprised to hear their curiosity, Gordon began to answer each question one after another, while Brian stood there and watched with a smile, happy to see that his fellow classmates began to have a new-found respect for his father.

* * *

The rest of the afternoon at Elmore Junior High went on without any further incidents. After the school rang for the last time, Brian bid the Watterson brothers goodbye, before he went into his father's red scion xB and took the long drive to their residence. Once they were on the road, the purple fox decided it was the right time to talk to his dad.

"Hey dad…" Brian began to talk. "I just wanted to say thanks for the help back there."

"No problem, son." Gordon happily answered. "I'm just glad I was able to make it there on time and prevent that t-rex from harming you."

"Yeah, it could have been worse." says Brian. "Listen dad, I'm sorry for telling you off at the school cafeteria. I wish I could have done it differently back there."

"It's alright Brian, apology accepted." Gordon said to his son. "I'm also sorry that I didn't inform you about my reasons to hang out with you in the first place. If I have known how today would have turn out, I would have come clean with you in the first place."

"It's alright, dad. I forgive you after what you did to Tina." Brian assured Gordon. "To be honest, I'm glad mom talk to you last night."

"Thanks son." Gordon said with a tone of relief.

"Just promise me that you don't do something like this ever again." says Brian.

"Don't worry Brian, I promise." Gordon insisted.

* * *

After what felt like forever, Brian and his father finally made their way back home, before parking on the driveway. Once the engine died down, both the purple fox and the grey wolf got of the vehicle, the former made his way to the front door before opening it.

"Hey mom." Brian happily greeted his mother, as he made his way upstairs and into his bedroom.

"Hey there sport." Annie greeted back, before she saw her husband making his way inside the house.

"So, how was your day with Brian?"

Gordon smiled in response to his wife's question and before long, he began the long story of how things went today.

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 19-The Transfer: Part 1_

_When Rhonda unexpectedly shows up as part of a school exchange program, Brian seizes the opportunity to hang out with her._

**Tidbits**

**-From the beginning, Gordon O'Quinn was always meant to be a wolf, though he originally had brown fur in mind, before quickly switching to grey instead.**

**-Basically, Gordon is an amalgam of Nicole and Richard Watterson; although he is hardworking and responsible, he tends to be a goofball when it comes to his family, including Brian.**

**-For the voice of Gordon, I have Scott Bakula in mind, due to his voice role as Danny the Cat from Cats Don't Dance.**

**-This chapter was quite challenging, mainly because it's the first time I wrote one solely focus on one of Brian's parents. Still, it was good to do a chapter revolving around one of them.**

**I hope everyone enjoyed reading this and I'll see ya next chapter!**


	19. The Transfer: Part 1

**It's been a long time, but I've been waiting to do this chapter the moment I've introduced Rhonda to the story. As a matter of fact, for every 4-5 chapters, I'll be doing one focusing on Brian's relationship with Rhonda. The reason for this is because I wanted to make the relationship between the two on a steady pace, making sure that I give both of them some development along the way, something that I have planned early on.**

**Also, I wanted to thank Sal for his help, so check out his stories when you can, including "The Homecoming" and "The Storm is Here".**

**Now that you guys know, I really hope everyone enjoyed this chapter!**

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 19-The Transfer: Part 1

It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon at Elmore Park, where pigeons flocked to feast on bread crumbs and little boys and girls were having a fun time at the playground. But at the basketball court, a certain purple fox and a yellow mouse were playing a one-on-one game, simply having fun with just of them together.

Ever since their encounter a few weeks ago, Brian had been smitten by Rhonda whenever she stopped by at his house, mostly just to hang out. During those few weeks, the purple fox learned a few things about her: she was not only smart, beautiful and brave, but she was also quite the tomboy and an athlete, having won several trophies for Elmore Academy in several different sports, including basketball. Speaking of which…

"Ready when you are." Rhonda called out to Brian.

"I was born ready." Brian responded back, as he positioned himself.

Before the purple fox knew what happened, Rhonda was moving with quick speed, prompting Brian to catch up to her as fast as he could. Despite the purple fox's best attempt, Rhonda was able to dunk the basketball in no time, leaving Brian completely worn out and exhausted.

"So Brian, you want to go two out of three?" asked Rhonda, as she picked up the basketball.

"You're on." Brian replied, despite being worn out.

"Alright Brian, if you say so." says Rhonda, as she began dribbling the basketball once more.

* * *

**5 Minutes Later…**

Brian panted very heavily on the basketball court, while Rhonda, though tired, remained relatively energetic, despite making several shots on the hoop, though the purple fox did managed to make a few shots of his own. Regardless of the turn of events, Brian was just having a great time with the mouse and that was what mattered to him.

'_Wow! I could see why Elmore Academy considered her to be one of their best athletes.'_ Brian thought, before he made his way to Rhonda.

"…And that makes 30!" Rhonda announced, before she turned to see Brian coming her way.

"That was a nice game, wasn't it?"

"It sure was Brian. Also, you did manage to make a few scores of your own." Rhonda replied.

"Oh, it was nothing, really." says Brian, his face slightly blushing and rubbing his arm sheepishly.

"Seriously Brian, I really mean it. It was quite an improvement since we started hanging out." Rhonda assured the purple fox, causing him to blush much more. Fortunately for Brian, Rhonda didn't notice this right away.

"Well, thanks for the compliment Rhonda." Brian sheepishly replied. Once he said those words, he noticed Rhonda happily staring at him and before he knew it, their eyes were locked on one another.

"Rhonda…" Brian began.

"Brian…" Rhonda started to talk. Before either of them knew it, they were talking to each other at the same time.

"I just wanted to tell you…JINX!" the moment Rhonda blurted that one word, Brian was left momentarily stunned and dismayed by her response. For her part, Rhonda slightly chuckled, as she playfully punched the stunned purple fox's arm.

"I can't believe you fall for that one again. That was the tenth time this month."

"Yeah, you got me real good." says Brian, feigning a slight chuckle of his own.

"Oh, look at the time…" Rhonda said, as she checked her cell phone. "I got to get back home and finish up my homework. It was nice hanging out with you Brian."

"Yeah, it was nice hanging out with you too."

After bidding their farewells to one another, Rhonda got on to her bike and biked her way home, leaving a disappointed Brian standing on the basketball court in the park.

'_Aw man! I knew that was too good to be true!'_

* * *

The next day, at Elmore Junior High, Brian told the Watterson siblings of what had occurred between him and Rhonda at the park. As soon as Brian finished his story up, Gumball looked at the purple fox with complete astonishment by how the day ended between them.

"Are you serious, Brian?" asked Gumball. "How could Rhonda not know about your crush on her? You two have been hanging out for the last few weeks and she still has no idea?"

"It's not that simple, Gumball." Brian explained. "I wanted to make sure that Rhonda is there to hear what I have to say. The last thing I wanted to do is to make a complete fool out of myself."

"It isn't any different when Gumball fell head over heels with Penny and he ended up making a fool out of himself every chance he gets." Darwin happily said, earning the two-legged fish a glare from his older brother.

"Dude, you're not helping here."

"Darwin, I appreciate what you're trying to say, but unlike Gumball, I actually care about my dignity." says Brian, irking the blue feline. "Also, Rhonda isn't like Penny. She's a mouse with yellow fur and brown hair, goes to a different school and as far as she knows, I'm just a friend."

"Don't beat yourself up too much Brian. I'm sure she'll find out about your feelings sometimes in the future." Anais assured the purple fox.

"Thanks for trying to comfort me Anais, but in time like these, I really do wish I spend enough time with her all day, instead of on the afternoon or the weekends."

As Brian wallows in his despair, both he and the Watterson siblings passed a certain mouse across the hallway. They all stop dead in their tracks and did a double take to confirm who they think it is.

"RHONDA?!"

"Hey guys." Rhonda happily greeted the four.

Brian, as well as the Watterson siblings, couldn't believe their eyes. In front of them was Rhonda Paxton, a student of Elmore Academy, here at their school. But instead of wearing the standard Elmore Academy uniform, she was wearing a white sweater with blue stripes, a pair of khaki jeans and red sneakers. After staring at her for a while, Brian finally spoke to break the silence between them.

"Rhonda, what are you doing here?" asked the purple fox.

"You didn't try to sneak in here like we did back at Elmore Academy, are you?" Darwin questioned the mouse.

"Oh, don't worry about that, Darwin. It's nothing like that." Rhonda replied. "I just took part of a school exchange program that the academy was promoting this week. It allows their students, for just one day only, to trade places with students from other potential schools around Elmore, so we can gather what we learned before the day is over."

"Wow Rhonda, that sounds very amazing." Anais said, impressed that a place like Elmore Academy would allow them such an opportunity.

"Tell me about, Anais." says Rhonda. "I took the chance so I can get to know everyone around here in Elmore Junior High, including you guys."

While Rhonda and Anais were having a conversation with one another, Brian dreamily stared at the mouse, clearly lost in his thoughts, his wish had finally come true. Meanwhile, Gumball was pondering about Rhonda's presence, something that Darwin noticed almost right away.

"What's wrong, Gumball?" the two-legged fish asked his older brother.

"Darwin, I just realized something…" Gumball explained. "Since Rhonda transferred to our school for the entire day, which one of our friends decided to transfer to Elmore Academy?"

* * *

It was just another day at Elmore Academy, as Ivan, along with his gang, were finishing filling up the last balloon with water, before he loaded it in a large bucket of dozens of water-filled balloons.

The boys were giggling with glee, waiting for this very day to come. Ever since the academy was promoting its school exchange program this week, the red bear and his partners in-crime were looking forward to it. But it wasn't to welcome those who had participated in the program, but to take the chance to embarrass and humiliate every single transferred student from all over Elmore, especially those from Elmore Junior High.

"Alright you guys, you know the drill…" Ivan explained to his friends. "As soon as we've spotted the first target, show them how we greet anyone who comes from second-rate schools."

"Duh…got it, Ivan." says Lloyd.

"Yeah-yeah, we know the drill." Joey bluntly spoke.

"We're ready when you are." Ray replied.

Satisfied with their answers, Ivan and his gang waited patiently behind the bush, ready for the ambush at any given moment. Suddenly, the four felt the ground shaking, each step getting louder by the moment, before it abruptly stopped, leaving the red bear and his pals both shocked and startled by this.

"Duh…what was that?" Lloyd fearfully asked Ivan.

"I-I'm it was n-nothing at a-all, Lloyd." the red bear replied.

"Why don't we just take a peek and find out for ourselves?" Ray insisted.

"Sure, I guess. I'm curious to see what's out there." says Joey.

Once they agreed with each other, the four troublemakers slowly came out of the bushes, taking a peek to see who or what caused the disturbance. Before they know it, they stopped dead in their tracks, both shock and terrified, as they were staring at a giant with a gorilla-like structure, his entire body covered almost entirely multi-colored furs, save for his hands and feet.

"Hello." the giant, known as Hector, greeted Ivan and his friends down below.

The red bear and his pals, however, continued to stare at the friendly giant, unable to move their bodies or do anything else at all.

* * *

Gumball continued to ponder for a while, trying to think of which of his fellow classmate decided to participate in the school exchange program. But after a few minutes, the blue feline shrugged his shoulders and decided to brush that off for now.

"Whoever it is, I'm sure that person is having a good time there." Gumball said to his brother, before focusing his attention at Rhonda. "So Rhonda, do you want us to give you a tour around Elmore Junior High? It's the least we can do after what happened a few weeks ago."

Before the mouse could give the blue feline her answer, Brian, now out of his dream-like trance, unexpectedly popped right next to Gumball, surprising both the mouse and the Watterson siblings.

"That's a great idea, Gumball! Someone like Rhonda needs to know what Elmore Junior High is like before she heads back to Elmore Academy this afternoon. Besides, this is our way of apologizing for sneaking into her school. What do you say guys?"

Before Gumball, Darwin and Anais could answer his question; Brian suddenly spoke before they had a chance to respond.

"What's that? You guys can't help me out on account that you're all busy today? That's alright then; I'll help show Rhonda around the school myself."

With that, Brian grabbed Rhonda's hand and almost immediately, dashed to the corner down the hallway, leaving Gumball and his siblings both confused and dumbfounded by their friend's action.

"What just happened just now?" Gumball asked.

"Beats me, Gumball." says Darwin. "What I really want to know is why Brian's behaving like that?"

"It shouldn't be that surprising, considering that he does hang out with you two all the time." Anais pointed out.

* * *

Once Brian and Rhonda made their way to another section of the hallway, the purple fox let go of the mouse's hand, before sheepishly apologizing to her for his manners. Although Rhonda was somewhat perplexed by Brian's odd behavior, she decided to accept his apology and allow the purple fox to lead the way.

"So Rhonda, where do you want to begin?" asked Brian.

"Anywhere is fine Brian, but thanks for asking me." Rhonda replied.

"If you say so, Rhonda…" Brian began. "Say, just out of curiosity, does anyone else know about what happen a few weeks ago?"

Before the mouse could offer her friend an answer to his question, a certain antler peanut, along with her friends, came by to greet Brian down the hallway, as they spotted him, along with his mystery friend, heading right towards them.

"Hey Brian, how are you today?" asked Penny.

"I'm doing great Penny, thanks for asking." Brian happily replied. "In fact, I'm glad to see you and your friends right now. Girls and Leslie, I want you meet Rhonda Paxton. She's from Elmore Academy and she's taking part of a school exchange program, so she'll be here for the entire day until school ends."

"It's nice to meet everyone." Rhonda greeted the group.

"You're from Elmore Academy?" an astonished Masami asked. "No offense, but you don't look like the kind of person to attend such a school."

"I'm going to have to agree with Masami on this one." Molly stated. "You seem quite friendly, despite what we heard about the students that attended the academy."

"It's cool. I get that a lot whenever I go." Rhonda assured.

"You know, I just realized something…" Leslie began to talk. "You and my cousin Penny are the same height."

As soon as the flower was able to make note of this, both Rhonda and Penny, out of curiosity, decided to measure each other by the head for a minute or so, before smiling at one another, acknowledging Leslie's statement.

"Aside from the obvious…" Teri began. "Are you by any chance an athlete back at Elmore Academy?"

"Sure." Rhonda answered, though slightly uncomfortable by the topic. "I spend most of time practicing basketball, softball, volleyball and track and field. It's no big deal, really." Once she finished her sentence, the mouse just chuckled and rubbed her head sheepishly.

"No big deal? Are you kidding me? You must be really good based on that description." says an excited Carmen.

Before either Rhonda or Brian knew what happened, the mouse suddenly found herself surrounded by both the girls and Leslie, each of them asking more question about Elmore Academy, from its programs to its history. For his part, Brian was dismay about their unexpected actions, but decided to let it slide and at least let Rhonda try to answer their question as best as she could. That is, until a certain cold voice spoke out of nowhere.

"Am I interrupting anything, Brian?"

As soon as Carrie spoke, Brian yelped before falling to the floor on his back, prompting Rhonda, along with the girls and Leslie, to stop their conversation and turned to see the young ghost right next to the startled purple fox. Once Brian managed to regain his composure, the purple fox glared at Carrie, clearly not impressed by Carrie's sudden appearance.

"I hate it when you do that." says Brian. "Seriously, don't go up behind people like that."

"Sorry, I was just curious, that's all." Carrie said defensively. "Anyway, who's the new girl? I don't recall seeing her around here."

"If you must know Carrie, this is Rhonda Paxton, whose staying here for the entire day as part of her school exchange program." answered Brian.

"That's quite interesting. It's nice to meet you, Rhonda." Carrie greeted the mouse.

"It's nice to meet you too, Carrie." Rhonda greeted back. "Just out of curiosity, does anything happen around Elmore Junior High?"

"Oh believe me Rhonda; a lot of things always occur around here." Carrie replied. "As a matter of fact…"

The young ghost then began telling the curious mouse about the mishaps that go on around their school, from Gumball getting into a fight with Tina to Hector causing rampage all over town. Soon, the girls, as well as Leslie, joined in their conversation, telling Rhonda about the various stories that took place, as Brian looked on with dismay by this unexpected outcome.

'_Aw man! I hope this conversation doesn't last long.'_

* * *

**25 Minutes Later…**

Once the conversation between Rhonda, Carrie, Leslie and the girls were finished, Brian was able to resume the tour with Rhonda, hoping he had enough time to spend time with her before the next bell ring. Unfortunately, more unexpected occurrences kept interfering with his plans.

For some reason, Banana Joe decided to make a few jokes with Rhonda, much to Brian's annoyance. In addition, Tobias wanted to challenge Rhonda to a game of dodge ball, after learning that she was an athlete, though the purple fox convinced him that they simply didn't have time for it. Finally, Clayton felt the need to tell his outlandish stories to the mouse; although Rhonda listened to the young clay's tall tale, Brian was dismay by this, hoping the young clay would be finished right now.

'_What's going on around here? At this rate, I won't have the chance to spend time with Rhonda.'_

As an impatient Brian pondered today's surprising outcomes, Clayton managed to finish his story to Rhonda, who was quite amused from what she had heard just now.

"So Rhonda girl, what did you think of that?" Clayton asked.

"I have to be honest with you, Clayton. I kind of doubt what you said were true and accurate." Rhonda replied, leaving the young clay disappointed. "But if it'll make you feel better, I think you're a really good story teller."

"I never thought of it that way." says Clayton, brightened up by the mouse's comment. "Thanks for the kind words."

With that, the young clay hopped off, leaving Brian and Rhonda by themselves in the hallway, much to the relief of the former and hopefully, it stays like that for the entire day.

"Thank goodness that's over." Brian muttered under his breath, before turning his attention to the mouse. "So Rhonda, what do you think of Elmore Junior High so far?"

"It's quite nice compared to Elmore Academy." Rhonda replied. "It's not as big as the academy, but it's quite modest and your classmates are quite nice compare to the ones back at Elmore Academy. Believe me Brian; I have only met a few in the academy that are genuinely good."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." says Brian, his face blushing slightly. "But it's good that this school made a good impression on you so far."

"It sure did, Brian." says Rhonda. "I'm glad you volunteered to help me out."

"Sure, it's no problem." Brian responded with hearty laugh while rubbing his neck. "Anyway, what else do you want to do before the day is over?"

Before the mouse could have the chance to answer the fox's question, the duo was startled by the sound of stomping, with each footstep getting louder by the minute, until it suddenly stopped. Sensing a familiar feeling over his shoulder, Brian slowly turned to the direction and to his dismay, he saw Tina, along with Jamie and Anton, staring right at him, as the t-rex smiled with utter delight.

"Hello there, furball…" Tina began. "I see you're looking fine as usual."

"Tina, can't you just let it go already?" Brian pleaded with the carnivore. "I know you're still upset for what my dad did a few days ago, but can't just let bygones be bygones?"

"Forget dweeb." says Jamie, before grabbing Brian on the collar. "You, my friends and I got some unfinished business to take care of and there's no way we're going empty-handed this time."

"Hey, leave Brian alone!" Rhonda spoke out, prompting the hybrid to let go of the purple fox and focus her attention on the mouse.

"Well look it here you guys, Brian has a guardian angel coming to save the day." Jamie spoke with sheer sarcasm.

"I don't know what you and have your friends have against my friend, but whatever it is, get over it!" Rhonda demanded.

"What if we don't feel like it?" asked Tina, as the dinosaur reared her head towards Rhonda.

Undaunted by the carnivore's intimidation, Rhonda continued to glare at Tina, irking her in the process. Brian, meanwhile, quickly came to the mouse's aide as fast he could, clearly worried for her safety.

"Come on Rhonda, just forget about it and let's move on." Brian insisted.

"Brian…" Rhonda began. "I appreciate your concern, but I'm not letting them get away with this after what they did to you."

"You know, little mouse, you've got guts." Tina admitted. "Still, words aren't enough to convince either of us to back down."

"I couldn't agree more." Rhonda responded back. "How about this: Brian and I will challenge you and your friends to a game of basketball after lunch. If we win, you guys must let go of your grudges on my friend and move on."

Once the mouse made her demands, Tina and her gang pondered for a moment, while Rhonda and a concern Brian looked on, neither of them knowing what their responses will be. After what felt like a long time, the trio turned their attention to the two, ready to give out their answers.

"You know what, challenge accepted." Jamie replied.

"I'm looking forward to giving you and furball a nice beating when this is over." Tina remarked, before the t-rex and her friends turned to the opposite direction, leaving just Brian and Rhonda in the hallway, the former clearly dismay by another unfortunate turn of events.

"Was that really necessary in the first place, Rhonda?" the purple fox asked with discomfort.

"Don't worry about it Brian, we've been playing basketball together for quite some time. That gives us an advantage." Rhonda assured the worried fox.

"That does make sense." Brian agreed with the mouse. "But what if they tried to cheat, Rhonda?"

"Let's worried about that later, Brian." Rhonda replied. "Right now, we need to head to class before the next bell ring."

With that, both Brian and Rhonda quickly head to the next class as fast as they could, but the purple fox couldn't help but be worried for the mouse's safety. She has no idea what kind of people Rhonda is going up against, but he prayed that everything will turn out alright this afternoon, for their sake.

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 20-The Transfer: Part 2_

_It's Brian and Rhonda versus Tina and her gang, as they go head-to-head in a game of basketball. But can the purple fox and the yellow mouse outsmart them and come out unscathed?_

**Tidbits**

**-As stated in the Mouse arc, I wanted Rhonda to be set apart from Penny in terms of relationship. So early on, I decided to make Rhonda be oblivious to Brian's feelings for her (to contrast Gumball and Penny's mutual feelings for one another).**

**-To set Rhonda apart from Penny, I decided to make her somewhat tomboyish in nature, as well as make her an athlete in the process.**

**-As for the relationship between Brian and Rhonda, as already stated, it will be on a steady pace, so I can make room for development. Of course, I'm going to put in a few obstacles along the way, but that's another story.**

**Thanks to everyone who read this chapter and I hope it was worth the wait to see Rhonda again.**

**Until then, see ya next chapter!**


	20. The Transfer: Part 2

**Wow! I can't believe I have over 100 reviews! I never thought this day would ever come! Thank you everyone who had continued to read "The Newcomer"! That means so much to me! I hope everyone continues to fave and follow this story!**

**That said, please enjoy this chapter!**

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 20-TheTransfer: Part 2

It was the afternoon at the school cafeteria and while most people would be busy eating and chatting about the latest trends, today turned out to be quite different, especially for a certain purple fox and yellow mouse.

Somehow, word had spread quickly all over Elmore Junior High that Brian and Rhonda had challenged Tina and her gang to a game of basketball and before either knew what was happening, they became today's hot topic, much to Brian's discomfort.

'_It's déjà vu all over again.'_ Brian nervously thought, as he sat at the usual spot with both Rhonda and the Watterson siblings, the latter noticing the worried look on the purple fox's face.

"What's wrong, Brian?" a concerned Darwin asked. "I thought you might be having a good time ever since Rhonda showed up."

"Except that this isn't how I imagine today was going to turn out." the purple fox replied. "The last thing I wanted was go through a similar scenario to my first day here and now I have to go through it yet again."

As soon as Brian brought up the fighting incident, the Watterson siblings could chuckle nervously in response, while Rhonda looked at her friends with curiosity about the incident itself.

"What happened on your first day, Brian?"

"It's a complicated story and one that I was glad to come out alive." answered Brian. "I just hope that today ended differently than the last time."

"Cheer up Brian…" Rhonda began. "We've been playing basketball for the last few weeks; that gives us the advantage over Tina and her friends."

"Now that you mention it, I think we might have a chance after all." says Brian, acknowledging the mouse's words.

"Even so, you and Rhonda should keep your guards up when facing Tina and her gang." Anais spoke out.

"I'm going to have to agree with my sister on this one." says Gumball. "If I know any better, either Tina or Jamie will play with cheap shots against either of you, so please be careful and keep a close eye on them."

"Don't worry, Gumball; Brian and I know what we're doing. Isn't that right?" Rhonda asked the purple fox, before she playfully punched him in the arm.

"Um, yeah, we're up to the task." Brian replied, smiling sheepishly. But deep down, Brian was terrified of facing Tina and her gang once again and this time, dumb luck won't be at his side. Even so, he refused to flake out, if only because Rhonda was getting involved. There was only one thing that the purple fox could think of.

'_I prayed we don't end up in six feet under!'_

* * *

After everyone had finished today's meals at the cafeteria, Brian, along with Rhonda, the Watterson siblings and pretty much their fellow classmates, finally gathered around the basketball court. As the fox and the mouse waited patiently at the court for Tina and her gang, everyone else on the sideline were getting increasingly restless, demanding to know when the game is about to start, all the while making bets to see who's going to win.

"My money is on the fox and the mouse."

"Are you kidding me?! Tina's going to crush them before the game even begins."

"They still have a fighting chance, you know."

"Oh, they'll have a chance alright…in their dreams!"

While every kid at the schoolyard were arguing about how the game is going to end, all Brian and Rhonda could is just wait until the game starts, the former sweating like mad and his body slightly trembling with fear and anxiety.

'_Pull yourself together man! You have to do this for Rhonda! Just make sure that you do-'_

Brian's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a tremendous stomping, each step getting louder by the minute, prompting everyone to stop arguing and turned to the direction of said noise. As it turns out, Tina arrived just in time at the basketball court, alongside her best friend Jamie. However, there was one person missing from the group.

"Where's Anton?" Brian questioned the duo.

"That's simple: we told him to get loss. As far as we're concerned, he was just going to slow us down." Jamie replied.

"Besides, this game is going to end before it even begins." Tina spoke with a smirk.

"I'll be the judge of that." Rhonda responded.

As soon as the four exchanged words with one another, Bobert made his way to the center of the basketball court, carrying the basketball with his metal clamps.

"Alright everyone, before this game could began, here are the rules that you four must follow…" Bobert began explaining. "Both teams must score four points or the team that is ahead before the next bell wins. Everyone must play fair and must of all, no cheating. Does everyone understand the rules of the game?"

In response, Brian, Rhonda, Tina and Jamie all shook their heads in agreement, confirming everything that the robot had told them not so long ago. Satisfied by their answers, Bobert proceeded to throw the basketball into the air, before Jamie and Rhonda both leaped towards it, the latter quickly throwing it towards Brian.

"Alright Brian, heads up!"

Hearing the mouse's shouting towards his direction, the purple fox somehow managed to grab the basketball, before he started to dribble the ball and ran to the opposite side of the court, all the while trying to avoid Tina herself, as she tried to lash out on Brian with her tail.

'_Whoa, that was a close one!'_ thought the purple fox, barely dodging her tail in the nick of time, before he continued to make his way to the other end of the court. As soon as he reached the 3-point line, Brian shot the basketball at the hoop, only for it to bounce off the backboard instead, much to his dismay.

"Aw man!" a dismay Brian spoke out.

"Nice shot, furball." Jamie said, sarcastically praising the purple fox, as she managed to grab the basketball and dribbled towards the other end of the court, all the while running on top of Tina. Then, with one leap from the dinosaur's head, she made a slam dunk, much to the crowd's displeasure.

"Hey, you can't do that!" Darwin objected.

"Do you want to argue with us?" Tina questioned the two-legged fish, prompting Darwin to shake his head in disagreement.

"I thought so." Tina said, before she turned her attention to Brian and Rhonda, the former clearly disappointed by his performance.

"I'm so sorry about that, Rhonda." Brian apologized to the mouse.

"Don't worry about that, Brian. Everyone doesn't make the first shot on their first try." Rhonda assured the purple fox. "Right now, let's just focus on the task at hand."

Nodding his head in agreement, both the purple fox and the mouse returned their attention towards Tina and Jamie, the latter trying to pass the ball to the t-rex. But as soon as she threw the ball towards the carnivore, Rhonda managed to leap in front of Tina and grabbed the basketball just in time.

"Alright Brian, give it another go!" Rhonda called out to the purple fox, before throwing the ball right at him.

Seeing the basketball heading right at him, Brian quickly caught the ball and began to dribble his way towards the hoop once more, as he barely dodged Tina's stomping as fast as he could, until he made his way to his end of the court.

"Remember Brian; try to flick the wrist when you shoot the ball." Rhonda informed her friend.

Taking heed of her advice, Brian did just that and before he knew it, the basketball managed to land in the hoop, much to his, as well as the crowd's, enjoyment.

'_Alright, I did it!'_ Brian thought with excitement, before he picks up the ball.

"That was beginner's luck." Jamie said to Rhonda, clearly unimpressed by Brian's shot.

"Believe me when I say it, luck has nothing to do with it." Rhonda retorted.

Once Brian managed to pick up the ball, he made his way back to the basketball court and the game resumed from there. The purple fox made his first move by passing the ball right towards Rhonda, before she quickly made her way to the other end of the court, dodging Jamie's tackles and Tina's tail, before she made a slam dunk, leaving the entire crowd quite astonished.

"Wow Tobias, good thing you didn't challenge her. Otherwise, she would have embarrassed you in front of Penny." Banana Joe commented, prompting the jock to punch him on the shoulder.

Back at the game, Tina and Jamie were quite amazed by the mouse's agility. But their amazement was quickly replaced with concern on their faces; Rhonda proved to be quite a challenge and from the way she played, there was no doubt that she was quite good. That was enough of a good reason to get rid of her as fast as they could.

"Wow, that Rhonda girl is really good at this." Jamie remarked, acknowledging the mouse's athletic ability.

"That still changes nothing." says Tina. "There's no way that we're going to lose to a bunch of pipsqueaks and that little mouse is no exception."

"What do you suggest then?" Jamie asked the carnivore.

"Isn't obvious, Jamie? We'll by playing harder and dirtier than usual." Tina replied.

Agreeing with the t-rex about their next strategy, the duo waited patiently for Brian and Rhonda to regroup so that they can resume playing the game, intending to surprise them when they get the chance.

Once the fox and the mouse got back to the court, Rhonda made the first move with the basketball at her grasp, with Brian following her lead. But before the mouse could pass the ball to the fox, Rhonda suddenly found herself to the ground, as Jamie had tackled her, leaving Brian shocked by the hybrid's action.

"Whoops." Jamie sarcastically spoke.

As the purple fox stood on the court with a look of shock and worry, Tina took advantage of the distraction long enough for her to grab the ball and quickly shoot it at the hoop. While the dinosaur cackled with joy, the rest of the crowd was outraged from what they had witnessed just now.

"Hey, that was cheating right there!" Gumball pointed out.

"Gumball's right, that shouldn't count at all." Anais agreed with her brother. "Bobert, you go to do something."

"Don't worry, I'll take care of this." the robot assured the child prodigy, before he made his to the basketball court, prompting the dinosaur to stop laughing and stare down at the robot with amusement.

"I'm afraid I have to call that a foul Tina. I told you that you and Jamie must play-"

Before the young robot could finish his sentence, the hybrid suddenly pressed the button on the left side of Bobert's face, causing him to reboot for about several seconds, before the robot went back online.

"What was I doing again?" a confused Bobert asked Jamie.

"You were just congratulating us for achieving another score." the hybrid lied to the robot.

"I guess that makes sense." Bobert replied, before heading back to the displeasured crowd.

While Tina and Jamie were quite amused with their strategy, Brian headed to Rhonda's aide, hoping that the hybrid didn't seriously hurt the mouse.

"Rhonda, are you alright?" Brian asked with concern.

"I'm alright Brian, but I am sore." Rhonda replied. "Listen, we need to outsmart them to make sure that doesn't happen again. In fact, I have a few strategies in mind."

"I'm all ears." says Brian, allowing the mouse to whisper to the purple fox. After listening to her for about a few minutes, the purple fox nodded his head in agreement with their next move, before they confronted Tina and Jamie once more with confidence.

"What's with that look on their faces all of a sudden?" Jamie asked, noting their demeanors.

"It doesn't matter, Jamie. We'll be done with this game in no time." Tina replied.

Agreeing with the carnivore's statement, both Jamie and Tina focused their attention on the fox and the mouse, intending to finish the game without any further interruptions. With the ball grasped firmly on her hand, Jamie made the first move, dribbling her way towards the other end of the hoop. However, without warning, Rhonda made a mad dash towards the hybrid and managed to steal the basketball right under her nose.

'_What are you up to?'_ Jamie thought, as she followed the mouse to see her next move. Upon seeing Brian in her path, the hybrid figured out their strategy.

'_So that's what you're up to. Too bad it won't happen.'_ Jamie, along with Tina, made their way towards the fox as soon as Rhonda threw the ball right at him. But when they made it to Brian, the duo realized that he didn't have the ball in his hands, much to their confusion.

"Looking for this?" Rhonda called out to them, revealing the basketball in her grasp, much to Tina and Jamie's surprise. But before they could do anything, the mouse promptly shoots the ball in the hoop, managing to score another point for her and Brian, as the crowd cheered on.

While Brian and Rhonda gave each other a high-five, Tina and Jamie groaned with dissatisfaction by that strategy. They couldn't believe those two made a fool out of them, especially the mouse. How dare she did that to them in front of everyone! They have a reputation to maintain and the last thing they wanted was to have it tarnished from someone like Rhonda.

"I don't believe this!" Jamie angrily exclaimed. "It looks like they can actually win this game!"

"Then what are we standing around for?! You cover the mouse, while I cover the fox!"

Jamie did as she was told without any hesitation, as both the hybrid and the carnivore made their way to their intended targets, as the game resumed once more. Rhonda made the first move, dribbling the basketball to their opponents' side, as the fox followed her lead, while Jamie and Tina chased right after them shortly afterwards. Once they made it to the other side of the court, both the fox and the mouse looked at each other and nodded, as they prepared for the next strategy.

'_Alright then, it's now or never.'_ Brian thought.

With that in mind, Rhonda passed the ball right towards the fox, prompting Tina to quickly stomp on him. Brian, however, managed to rollover and quickly passed the ball back at the mouse, as Jamie try to steal it from her, before Rhonda quickly passed the basketball right back at her friend and vice versa. As the fox and the mouse repeatedly passed the ball back to one another, wearing down Jamie and Tina's energy, the crowd looked on with curiosity and excitement.

"Wow, Rhonda's really good at this game." Penny commented.

"Yeah, I know. It looks like she really wasn't kidding about her claims after all." Masami said to the antler peanut.

Back at the game, Jamie and Tina were becoming exhausted from their attempts to steal the ball and were unable to do anything at all, as Rhonda threw the basketball up in the air, before Brian grabbed it and shoot it into the hoops, scoring another point in the process.

'_Wow! Just one more point and we win this game!'_

While Brian happily thought about this, Tina and Jamie angrily glared at the duo; they couldn't believe that those two made fools out of them yet again. Adding insults to injury, both the fox and the mouse are just one point away from winning and they only have a few more minutes until the next bell. Something had to be done soon; their reputations were on the line!

"What do we do now?" asked Jamie.

"Isn't it obvious, Jamie? We'll have to get rid of that little mouse once and for all. She's the reason why we're about to loose to begin with." Tina replied. "In fact, I even have a plan especially for her."

Arching an eyebrow in curiosity, the hybrid allowed the carnivore to whisper in her ears about their new strategy. Once Tina was finished laying out their next move, Jamie's curiosity was replaced by a sinister smile on her face. She just couldn't believe what she had just heard and if this plan worked out perfectly, they'll have an easy victory in no time.

"I don't know where you came up with that idea, but I like the sound of it." Jamie remarked, before her and Jamie cackled with devilish delight, while Brian and Rhonda looked at them with confusion and discomfort.

"What do you think those two are up to?" Brian asked the mouse.

"I'm not so sure, but no matter what happened, we have to keep our guard up." Rhonda replied.

Agreeing with the mouse's statement, Brian and Rhonda waited for Tina and Jamie to head back to the court, allowing the four to play the game once again. Holding the ball firmly in his paws, Brian quickly passed the ball right at Rhonda, but once he did, he noticed that the two bullies were suddenly going after her, as the surprised mouse was forced to back away from them as best as she can.

'_Oh man! What are those two up to?!'_ a shocked and horrified Brian thought, as he, along with the entire crowd, watched Rhonda backing away from Jamie and Tina, as the two bullies slowly approached her all the way to the other end of the basketball court, finally cornering her.

"It looks like you got nowhere else to go now, little mouse." Tina snarled.

"Do you have any last words before this day comes to an end?" Jamie mockingly asked.

Rhonda didn't answer right away, as she silently panicked by this unexpected maneuver, her body trembling and her energy surging within her. The mouse had to come up with a quick plan or else she would be a goner right then and there. But what can she…wait a minute! Of course! There was only one move she can pull off.

'_Here goes nothing!'_

With that in mind, Rhonda threw the basketball down as hard as she can, launching the ball all the way to the clear, blue sky, shocking Brian, Tina, Jamie and the entire crowd by this unexpected move. For a long while, everyone just stood and looked at the sky, wondering what became of the basketball. Then, as if some twisted fate, the basketball was hurling down towards the basketball court at the speed of light, its speed was increasing by each passing minute.

As the ball was inching closer towards the court, Brian ran towards it as fast as he can, quickly leaping and catching the basketball just in time. By a miracle, the purple fox somehow remained unharmed. For a while, there was a long silence all over the court, as no one move or say a single word. Finally, Brian broke the silence by starting to dribble his way to his opponents' side and soon, the crowd we're cheering on the purple fox.

"Alright Brian, you can do it!" Gumball shouted.

"Dude, keep it up!" Darwin called out.

Brian couldn't help but smile at his friends' comment, as he continued to happily dribble the ball to the hoop. But his smile was suddenly replaced by bewilderment, as he noticed that Tina and Jamie were chasing right after him, desperately trying to catch up with him. It didn't take too long for Brian to realize what they're planning to do with him.

'_Oh man! OH MAN! I really need to pick up the pace!'_

His mind made up, Brian ran with all of his might, ignoring the pain in his body, as he barely dodged another tackle from the hybrid, all the while avoiding the carnivore's stomping and tail whipping. As he continued to avoid the bullies' tactics, the purple fox finally reached his destination, despite his body being completely worn out from pushing it to its limits.

'_Alright Brian, it's now or never!'_ Brian thought, as he quickly positioned himself, aiming the basketball at the hoop and his arms ready to throw at any moment.

"I don't think so!" Jamie shouted, as Brian heard the hybrid's footsteps inching closer to him. Ignoring her words, Brian aimed squarely at the hoop and with one flick of a wrist; the purple fox threw the basketball towards the hoop, before being tackled down by Jamie. But it was too little too late, as the ball managed to reach the hoop, circling around the rim, as everyone, including Brian, waited to see what happens next.

'_Oh c'mon already, I can't stand the suspense!'_

After what felt like forever, the basketball finally went into the hoop, giving Brian and Rhonda the point they needed to win the game, much to the crowd's enjoyment and to the displeasure of Tina and Jamie.

"I can't believe that we lost!" Jamie moaned in disbelief.

"There's nothing we can do about it, Jamie." says Tina, before the duo turned to the purple fox, as Brian looked on nervously at them. "Alright furball, just as promised, we'll let that wolf incident go, but we won't forget this!"

Once the dinosaur finished her threat, both Tina and Jamie walked away from the terrified fox, as the Watterson siblings approached Brian to congratulate him for winning the game.

"Good job man! I can't believe you won!" Gumball praised the purple fox.

"Yeah, I honestly thought I was goner back there." Brian replied, rubbing his head sheepishly.

"Don't feel so embarrassed, Brian. You and Rhonda did fine back there." assured Darwin.

"Speaking of which, we should check up on her." Anais pointed out, before, she, her brothers and Brian quickly headed to Rhonda, the latter completely worried about her.

"Rhonda, are you alright?" Brian asked with a tone of worrisome.

"I'm good, thanks for asking." Rhonda replied. "That was a nice shot you did back there."

"Oh, it was nothing Rhonda." says Brian, his cheeks blushing slightly. "I couldn't have done it without your help."

"Thanks for the compliment. Now if you guys don't mind, I have to relax."

Once Rhonda finished her words, the mouse's eyes went blank and fainted to the ground, completely unconscious, much to the shock of Brian and the Watterson siblings.

"Rhonda!" the four shouted, before they picked up the unconscious mouse and headed straight towards the school.

* * *

It seemed like she had slept for ages, but Rhonda slowly regained consciousness, as she opened her eyes and spotted Gumball, Darwin, Anais and Brian looking at her with genuine concern, before all four sighed with relief, as the mouse had just woke up.

"What happened, you guys?" Rhonda asked, as she sat up on the infirmary bed.

"We took you in the nurse's office after you fainted in the basketball court." Gumball replied. "Fortunately, it turned out that it wasn't too serious."

"You really got us worried back there, Rhonda." says Brian.

"I'm sorry Brian." Rhonda apologized. "I guess I was just scared back there when Tina and Jamie we're attempting to ambush me."

"Don't worry about it, Rhonda." Darwin assured the mouse. "We're just glad that everything turned out alright in the end."

"Now that's settled, we have to get back to our own classes right now." says Anais.

"Don't worry Brian, me and Darwin will cover for you when we get to Miss Simian's class." Gumball said to his friend, before him and his siblings left the nurse's office, while Brian remained at Rhonda's side.

"Sorry that today didn't turn out the way you imagined." Brian apologized to the mouse.

"It's alright Brian. To be honest, I actually had fun at Elmore Junior High. I just wish these things happened more often back at Elmore Academy."

"Well…that's great. I'm really happy for you." once Brian finished his word, he found himself locking eyes with Rhonda once more.

"Rhonda…"

"Brian…" before long, the two found themselves talking to each other.

"I just wanted to tell you…JINX!" as soon as Brian and Rhonda uttered their response to one another, the duo was laughing their heads off, enjoying each other's company.

"Wow Brian; that was the first time you attempted to jinx me." Rhonda noted.

"Well, I've been hanging around with you for quite a while." Brian pointed out. "I guess part of you rubbed off on me."

"Thanks Brian." says Rhonda, touched by the fox's compliment. "You really are a great friend."

Before Brian knew what was happening, the purple fox found himself embraced by the mouse's arm, as Rhonda gave him one big hug. Even though Brian still wished that Rhonda was aware of his feelings for her, he couldn't help but smile and decided to hug the mouse back. It wasn't much, but this is enough to make up for today's surprising turn of events.

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 21-The Unruly_

_Brian hypnotizes Teri in order to get rid of her fear, but he soon regrets this when she becomes unruly and out of control._

**Tidbits**

**-I know what everyone is thinking, but I wanted to make sure that the relationship between Brian and Rhonda goes on a steady pace. In other words, I'm going to make Rhonda remain oblivious to Brian's feelings for her throughout the story until I decided when the time is right for her to become aware.**

**-This chapter was really quite challenging, as this was the second time I put a lot of effort in actions sequences. I'm not so sure if I pulled it off or not, so let me know if I done a good job with it.**

**-Regarding the basketball scenes, I have to do a bit of research online to make sure that I got some of them right. Hopefully it was worth it for this chapter.**

**-When it was pointed out that there should be a few transfer students for "The Transfer", I was unable to find a way to fit them in. However, I still like the suggestions that Gummypuss had to offer and I think I can use that to reference "The Transfer" in a future chapter.**

**Thanks for those who have read "The Transfer" arc and I'll see ya next chapter!**


	21. The Unruly

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 21-The Unruly

It was just another day for Brian O'Quinn at Elmore Junior High, as the purple fox made his way to his locker to pick up today's materials for Miss Simian's class. But as Brian was minding his own business, he noticed a certain paper bear heading right in his path in a bit of hurry.

"Hold your horses there, Teri! Why are you in such a hurry? Class doesn't start until five minutes from now."

"I know that, Brian…" Teri began with a worried tone. "It's just that Banana Joe just sneezed on me right now and I have to get to the nurse's office before it's too late!"

"Teri, I don't think a simple sneeze is going to be the death of you." Brian said deadpanned. "Besides, that only happened once in War of the Worlds."

"I'm not taking any chances, Brian." Teri retorted. "Did you know that sneezing could affect 18-35% of the entire population?"

Rather than answer Teri's question, Brian cringed in response, disgusted to hear such a fact from the paper bear.

"Anyway, I have to go now or else I'm a goner." Teri informed the purple fox, as she quickly ran towards the nurse's office, leaving Brian on his own.

'_That girl really needs to take a chill pill.'_ Brian thought, before he heads towards his locker.

* * *

Brian, along with Gumball and Darwin, were sitting at their usual spot in the school cafeteria, as he saw Teri happily chatting with the rest of the girls about the latest fads. Everything was turning out well until Leslie accidentally spilled some soda on the paper bear.

"Whoops! Sorry about that Teri." Leslie apologized.

Teri didn't respond right away to the flower, her body froze in fear. Then, after a few seconds, Teri let out a loud shriek, before she got out of her seat and exited the cafeteria, no doubt heading to the nurse's office.

Brian simply shook his head in disbelief and sighed in exasperation from the sight. It had been almost three months since he moved to Elmore and ever since his first encounter with Teri, he was irked by the paper bear's obsession with cleanliness, especially when he tried to shake hands with her and almost every day it ends with Teri heading to the nurse's office and today was no exception.

After the paper bear returned from the nurse's office, Teri was able to make her way to Miss Simian's class, just before the old, cantankerous baboon arrived. But as soon as class began, the paper bear began to complain about the humidity in the classroom. During art class, Teri was trying to paint her assignment as carefully as she could, but she ended up getting some of the paints on herself. Finally, right before it was lunch time, the paper bear accidentally stepped on a piece of gum when she was walking with her friends.

In all of those three instances, it ends with Teri heading to the nurse's office and Brian was getting increasingly annoyed by this.

'_Geez Louise! How long is she going to keep this up?'_ Brian pondered, before he got out of his seat and made his way to the girls' tables, hoping to get some answer from them regarding Teri herself.

"Hey girls. Hey Leslie." Brian greeted them as soon as he arrived.

"Hey Brian, what brings you over here?" asked Penny.

"Just something important I wanted to get off my chest." Brian replied. "How do you and you friends deal with Teri's behavior?"

"What did you mean?" Carmen questioned the purple fox.

"Everyday at school, Teri always gets freaked out over every little things and I'm sick of it." Brian responded to the cactus.

"So she's a neat freak, big deal." Masami nonchalantly spoke. "But that's who Teri is and we just deal with it."

"But don't you wish that a part of Teri is changed?" Brian asked the cloud.

"Well…maybe a little bit." Masami replied. "But she's still our friend, no matter what."

"Are you sure you wanted to deal with Teri's obsession with cleanliness for the rest of your-"

"Brian, you made your point and we get it." Penny said, cutting off the purple fox. "But you can't just change people just like that. They have to make the changes on their own."

"Alright Penny, I understand." says Brian, before he headed back to his usual spot, somewhat disappointed by the response he just received. But when he arrived at his friends' tables, he noticed Gumball and Darwin giving strange looks at one another, as if they were in a hypnotic trance.

"**You are now a chicken!"** Gumball commanded.

Suddenly, right before Brian's eyes, Darwin began to behave like a chicken. But after a few seconds, Darwin went back to hypnotizing his older brother.

"**You are now a donkey!"**

As expected, Gumball got on to his knees and hands and began to neigh like a mule. But just like Darwin, this lasted another few seconds and Gumball once again began to hypnotize the two-legged fish.

As the Watterson brothers continued to hypnotize one another, each giving out a command to the other, Brian continued to watch this unusual scenery with astonishment. Then, an idea hit him.

'_I wonder…'_ Brian thought, before he made his way to his friends, smacking both of their heads together, breaking the hypnotic trances from one another.

"OW! What was that for, Brian?" Gumball demanded, rubbing his sore head.

"Yeah, you didn't have to do that." Darwin complained.

"Sorry about that, you guys." Brian apologized to the Watterson brothers. "It's just that, I was quite intrigued what you did just now: hypnotizing one another by sheer will. In fact, can either of you show me how to do that?"

Both Gumball and Darwin looked at another, puzzled by Brian's strange request. Why was Brian interested in such a skill? Furthermore, why did he need such a skill to begin with? The only way to know is to get the answer from the purple fox himself.

"Sorry if I state the obvious, but why?" Gumball asked his friend.

Brian paused for a moment, trying to come up with a good answer to give to the blue feline. After a while, he finally managed to find one, hoping it would satisfy Gumball's curiosity.

"It's a bit hard to explain, but…"

* * *

Not too long ago, Teri made her way to the nurse's office, hoping she managed to make it on time before she got infected. Once the nurse again assured Teri that she was fine, in addition to removing some of the soda stains from her clothes, the paper bear happily walked out of the office, intending to regroup back with her friends at the cafeteria. But along the way, a certain purple fox suddenly made his presence known in the hallway.

"Brian, what are you doing here?" Teri asked, somewhat startled by the fox's sudden appearance.

"I'm sorry if I spook you, Teri." Brian apologized. "I was just wondering just how my fellow classmate is doing."

"Oh, that's very considerate of you Brian, but I should be feeling better in no time." Teri assured the purple fox.

"That's good to know." says Brian. "But before we head back to the cafeteria, I was wondering if you could look into my eyes…please."

"Look into your eyes?" asked Teri, clearly confused by such an odd request. "Brian, what are you-"

"**Look into my eyes!"** Brian commanded, as his eyes suddenly became a series of swirls and before long, Teri fell into a hypnotic trance.

"**Yes master."** Teri obliged, as Brian continued to use his hypnotic skill on the paper bear.

"**Listen to me very closely Teri. When I snapped my finger, you will no longer be afraid of anything. You will be a very brave person from now on. Understood?"**

"**Whatever you say, master."** Teri responded.

'_Close enough.'_ Brian thought, before he snapped his fingers, releasing the paper bear from her trance.

"Brian, what are we doing in the hallway?" Teri asked, clearly not remembering the fox's recent action.

"Oh, nothing…" Brian half-heartedly spoke. "But if this will make you feel better, why not shake hands before we head back to the cafeteria?"

Teri looked Brian, somewhat confused by his strange request. Nevertheless, the paper bear decided to comply with the fox's request and before Brian knew what happened, Teri shook his paw, without cleaning it for once.

'_I don't believe it! It really worked! I can't wait to show everyone the new Teri!'_ Brian was very ecstatic by this new development, as he and the paper bear headed right back to the cafeteria. There was no way that this will end badly.

* * *

For the next several days at Elmore Junior High, Teri was behaving completely different since Brian hypnotized her and understandably, her fellow students and teachers were quite shocked with the sudden change in her personality. No matter where she goes, she was no longer obsessed in cleanliness nor was she interested in spewing medical facts. In addition, she didn't make the trip to the nurse's office for a change, which only adds more confusion among them.

Today was no different, as Teri happily walked down the hallway and happily greeted Brian, Gumball and Darwin.

"Hey guys."

"Hey Teri." greeted the trio, although Brian was happy to see her. Gumball and Darwin, on the other hand, were feeling somewhat uncomfortable by Teri's new demeanor.

"Teri, are you feeling alright?" Darwin asked with concern.

"What do you mean?" Teri asked, arching an eyebrow.

"What my brother means is that you're not yourself lately." Gumball answered. "For the last several days, we haven't seen you clean door knobs, complain about the condition of the school and most of all, you haven't visited the nurse's office for once."

"Whoa there guys, I think you're being too harsh on Teri." says Brian, defending the paper bear. "I think it's good that Teri made a change for once."

"Brian's got a point, Gumball." Teri rudely spoke. "So do me a favor and stop acting like a square."

With that, Teri angrily walked away from the trio, leaving Gumball and Darwin in the hallway clearly dumbfounded by the paper bear's sudden change in behavior.

"What just happened?" Darwin asked his older brother.

"Beats me buddy, but I'm just surprise that she call me a 'square' to begin with." Gumball responded.

"I'm sure it was nothing." Brian sai, wanting to change the subject. "After all, this is Teri we're talking about."

Both Gumball and Darwin nodded their heads in agreement and went on with their business. Brian, however, couldn't help but be bothered by Teri's sudden outburst. Even so, he decided not to dwell on it too much and just forget that ever happened. After all, what could possibly go wrong?

* * *

The next day at Elmore Junior High, it was another typical routine for every student at the hallway, whether they are chatting among each other or simply get the required materials for the next lesson. Today, though, turned out to be way more different than anyone else has ever expected.

Without warning, one of the school doors burst wide open, prompting everybody to stop what they were doing and turned towards the commotion. Standing right in front of them was Teri, or at least it was supposed to be. Instead of wearing her blazer, the paper bear had swapped it for a black dress, wearing a pair of black boots and gloves, as well as a pair of shades and a bandanna over head.

Teri's makeover left everyone shocked all over the hallway, but none more so than her friends, as the group approached her with great concern over her new look.

"Teri, are you feeling alright?" Penny asked the paper bear.

"What do you think, antler girl?" Teri remarked, shocking both Penny and her friends. It was the last thing they ever expected to hear out of the paper bear.

"Teri, this really isn't like you at all." says Masami, furious at the paper bear for her comment. "We were fine with you not heading out to the nurse's office for the last few days, but your behavior is getting on our nerves. Plus, why are you dressed up like that?"

"That's none of your concern, cloudy. I'm my own girl now and I'll do whatever I want."

"Oh, is that so?" a certain deep voice asked, prompting Teri and the rest of the girls to see Tina staring right down at them with a look of amusement on her face.

"State your business, lizard breath." Teri demanded, irking the t-rex in the process.

"You think that your sudden change in attitude and personality is going to help you out? Well guess what, you've got another thing coming." Tina then reared her head towards Teri, bearing her sharp fangs, while Penny and her friends backed away in fear. What happened next, however, took everyone by complete surprise.

"Giddy up, yee-haw!" Teri shouted, before she pulled a rope out of nowhere and wrapped around Tina's mouth, as the paper bear got on top of the carnivore's head and pulled the rope around the her mouth by force.

"Get off of me!" Tina objected, before she ran around the area, desperately trying to shake Teri off of her.

"High ho Tina, away!" Teri remarked, riding on the dinosaur with no cares in the world.

The unusual escapade continued on for several minutes, as Tina tried to get rid of Teri, thrashing several lockers and almost squashing a few students along the way. Finally, after a long time, Tina's body was unable to continue and she passed out, collapsing to the floor.

"That's what you get for challenging me." Teri remarked, before being slowly approached by Gumball, Darwin and Brian, the latter completely shocked by the paper bear's action.

"Teri, what's gotten into you?!" the purple fox demanded. "You could have been seriously injured!"

"He's got a point, Teri." Gumball agreed with Brian. "What you did was very reckless back there."

"So what if it was? Someone has to make a fool out of that carnivore." Teri adamantly insisted.

"But Teri…" Darwin began. "We were just-"

Before the two-legged fish could say more, the door to the principal's office suddenly opened, as a glasses-wearing slug covered in brown fur came out of his office, before he noticed Tina on the floor, along with Gumball, Darwin, Brian and Teri right next to her, prompting him to narrow his eyes on the group.

"What is going on here?" Principal Brown asked. "Why is the hallway a complete mess?"

"Zip it, pops!" Teri retorted. "I just happened to take care of a simple problem, that's all."

"Teri!" Principal Brown scolded. "What is with that tone? This isn't like you at all."

"Shove it you furry slug!" Teri shouted, causing Principal Brown to recoil in shock. "If you don't mind, I have more important things to worry about."

Once the paper bear finished her words, Teri calmly left the hallway and disappeared around the corner, leaving an infuriated Principal Brown to confront Gumball, Darwin and Brian, before setting his eyes on the blue feline.

"Gumball Tristopher Watterson!" Principal Brown called out, prompting the blue feline to quickly point his arm at Brian, leaving the slug very confused by this.

"Brian O'Quinn?" Principal Brown asked, as the purple fox could only cringe in response. It didn't take too long for the slug to realize that Brian had something to do with Teri's unusual behavior.

"Brian, care to explain what caused Teri to behave in such a manner?"

Brian hesitated for a moment, uncertain how to answer the principal's question. Eventually, the purple fox realize that Principal Brown deserves to know the truth, before he took a deep breath and finally gave the furry slug his answer.

"You see Principal Brown; it began not so long ago…"

* * *

**3 minutes later…**

"…And that's how it happened."

Once Brian finished explaining everything to Principal Brown, the slug could only stare at the fox, rubbing his chin, as he pondered for a brief moment. From what he heard, Brian convinced Gumball to teach him hypnosis so he can help Teri be rid of her fears. Judging from the guilty expression on the fox's face, it seemed that his intentions were good; it was the results that he didn't expected at all.

"Brian, I know you meant well with your intentions, but you can't change people in a blink of an eye just like that." says Principal Brown. "They have to make the changes on their own."

"I know Principal Brown and I'm really sorry about it." Brian apologized.

"Tell you what…" Principal Brown began. "If you and Gumball could get Teri back to normal, I'll overlook everything that happened today."

"Wait a minute, Principal Brown! What do I have to do with this?" Gumball asked.

"Even though Brian was responsible for changing Teri, you were the one who taught your friend hypnosis to begin with." Principal Brown pointed out, before he turned his attention to Darwin.

"Darwin, I want you to cover for your brother and your friend when you get back to Miss Simian's class. Can you do that for me?"

"Don't worry, I won't fail you." Darwin happily replied, before he joyfully skipped his way to class. Principal Brown then turned to his attention to Gumball and Brian, as if was expecting them to do something.

"Don't worry Principal Brown, will get to it right away." Brian assured the furry slug, before him and Gumball left in search of Teri.

* * *

Gumball and Brian searched all over Elmore Junior High for several minutes, as the duo attempted to locate Teri in every known area they could possibly think of. So far, the two had searched in the nurse's office, the music and art classroom and so forth, to no avail. After a long while, Gumball was starting to loose his patience in their search for the paper bear.

"This is getting us nowhere!" Gumball complained. "We've searched every possible place that Teri might be in and there's no sign of her at all."

"Maybe we're not looking at the right places at all, Gumball." Brian stated, earning him a curious look from the blue feline. "Think about it. Since Teri is hypnotized, where would she go that she would otherwise not normally do?"

For a while, both the fox and cat stood in the hallway and pondered, trying to think of some of the areas that the hypnotized paper bear would end up in. Then, the duo's thoughts were interrupted by a loud crash in the cafeteria, prompting Gumball and Brian to make their way to said place. Once the duo arrived in the cafeteria, both the purple fox and the blue feline quietly sneaked into the kitchen and couldn't believe what they were seeing.

In the kitchen was none other than Teri, as the paper bear was rummaging through the fridge, eating whatever food or drink she could get her hands on. The rebellious girl had her clothes stained with juices, grease and ketchup, from head-to-toe. Gumball and Brian were appalled by Teri's behavior; not only was she behaving rebellious, she was becoming out of control!

"Teri!" Brian called out, prompting the paper bear to turn around and see the fox and the cat staring at her with a frown. "What are you doing in the cafeteria?!"

"I'm getting something to eat, Captain Obvious!" Teri bluntly responded, before belching out loud.

"Teri, you need to stop acting like this!" Gumball demanded. "If you keep this up, you might get expelled!"

"If you two squares are so worried, then you might as well catch me if you can." says Teri.

"What are you talk-" began Brian, before Teri pulled out a fire extinguisher out of nowhere and squeezed the trigger, blasting towards the duo. Startled, the duo ducked almost immediately, as Teri rode on the fire extinguisher, leaving the kitchen and the cafeteria.

"Oh man, how do we catch up to her now?" Gumball asked. "At this rate, we'll be in very big trouble for sure."

"Don't worry about that, Gumball. I managed to find some extra extinguishers lying around." says Brian, before presenting the blue feline two fire extinguishers in his paws, much to Gumball's satisfaction.

* * *

Teri was having the time of her life. She was brave and fearless and as far as she was concerned, the paper bear can do whatever she wanted around here and there was nothing anyone can do about it.

Just then, she heard two loud noises coming from behind her. Intrigued by this, the paper bear turned around and much to her surprise, she saw Gumball and Brian riding on fire extinguishers, as the duo proceeded to catch up with Teri.

"Teri, pull over immediately, so we can talk." Gumball called out her.

"No way, you square!" Teri replied, before she squeezed the trigger, increasing the speed from her extinguishers.

'_She just has to choose the hard way.'_ Brian thought, before both he and Gumball squeezed the trigger on their own extinguishers, increasing its speed, as the duo tried to catch up with Teri as best as they can.

Teri, however, remained undaunted by their actions and continued to fly throughout the hallway. Through every twist and turns from one corner after the other, both Gumball and Darwin continued to chase down the paper bear, the latter trying to shake them off with all of her effort. After what seemed like forever, the duo was finally able to catch up with her once more.

"Teri, we're not kidding around here. Please stop this at once." Brian pleaded with the paper bear.

"What makes you think I'm going to comply with that demand?" Teri asked, clearly unimpressed.

"Alright Teri, you gave us no choice." says Gumball.

Before the paper bear knew what happened, Gumball and Brian pulled some ropes behind their back and before she could have a chance to react, the duo quickly wrapped her with their ropes, binding her in the process.

"Alright, we got her Brian." Gumball said to the purple fox.

"That's good and all, Gumball…" Brian began. "But I just realized something."

"What's that?"

"How do you stop these things?"

Gumball froze, his head sweating madly, as he clearly didn't expect to be asked such a question. But just when the blue feline realized this, Gumball, Brian and Teri sensed something in their path, as the trio turned to see a wall zooming up in their path. Startled by this, all three kids screamed in terror, before they ended up crashing into it. Once the dust settled down, the trio, by a miracle, was unscathed from the crash, aside from being covered by leftover foams.

"Wow! I can't believe we survive that." Brian commented.

"I know what you mean, Brian. I'm more surprised by the fact we didn't suffer any serious injuries." Gumball pointed out. "By the way Brian, how's Teri?"

Brian turned to see Teri sitting right next to him and Gumball, completely dazed from the crash. Fortunately, she didn't suffer any serious injuries, much to the duo's relief.

'_Alright then, it's now or never.'_ Brian thought, before he began to use his hypnotic skills on the paper bear.

"**Listen to me closely Teri. When I snapped my finger, you will no longer be brave and fearless. You'll be back to your timid, old self and you won't remember a single thing. Is that understood?"**

For a while, Teri remained dazed and unresponsive to the purple fox's command. Eventually, the paper bear simply nodded her head, having somehow listened to every single word from Brian. Satisfied by this, the purple fox snapped his fingers and before long, Teri was back to her old self, as Gumball and Brian sighed with relief.

"Gumball…Brian…" Teri began. "What happened?"

"Well Teri, it's a long and complicated story and-" Before Gumball could elaborate any further, Teri noticed something very wrong with her surroundings.

"Guys, what are we doing in the hallway? Furthermore, why am I covered in foam and what happen to my outfit? Finally, am I covered in food stains?"

Gumball and Brian didn't respond to Teri's questions right away and only nodded their heads in response. Once they confirmed everything the paper bear had asked, the duo proceeded to plug their ears, as Teri let out the loudest scream that Elmore Junior High has ever heard.

* * *

Once Teri was able to calm down, both Gumball and Brian took her to the nurse's office to get her all cleaned up, the latter deciding to stay with the mortified paper bear, while the blue feline headed back to Miss Simian's class to cover for Brian's absence. Once Gumball left the nurse's office, Brian turned his attention to Teri, hoping she would at least listen to him.

"I'm so sorry about everything that happened, Teri." Brian apologized. "I never meant for things to get out of control."

"That's alright Brian, I know you meant well." Teri responded, accepting the purple fox's apology. "I'll admit I shouldn't panic over every little detail."

"Still, I shouldn't have hypnotized you at all." says Brian. "Is there anything I can do to make it up?"

"Just one…" Teri began, before she became stern and serious. "Don't pull a stunt like that ever again."

"I promise Teri." Brian assured the paper bear, much to her satisfaction. "Don't worry; I'll cover for you when I get back to class."

With that, Brian left the nurse's office, having come to accept that there are some things that shouldn't be tampered with.

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 22-The Bodyguard: Part 1_

_After Ivan threatens to beat up Gumball, Darwin and Brian in the afternoon, the trio decided to hire themselves a bodyguard for protection._

**Tidbits**

**-I'm well aware that there's an episode called "The Virus" coming up on the show (which is Teri's first major role). However, I decided to give Teri one first for this story before that happens.**

**-Wasn't so sure whether I should split this chapter into two parts or not. Thankfully, that didn't happen at all and it turned out the way I had expected.**

**Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and I'll see ya next time!**


	22. The Bodyguard: Part 1

**I wanted to thank wiseguy1107 for creating an OC for this chapter. Also, check out his stories when you guys have the chance, including "Another Dimension" and "The Spartan".**

**Anyway, read and enjoy!**

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 22-The Bodyguard: Part 1

It was a typical afternoon for Gumball, Darwin and Brian, as the trio decided to walk in the neighborhood for a change. It's been almost three months since Brian moved in the town of Elmore and through trial and error, the purple fox managed to find a few interesting shortcuts that allowed them to travel to the Watterson residence much quicker. Once he managed to memorize the path, the purple fox shared this information to the Watterson brothers and the trio began to make their way there

"I'll have to admit, Brian…" Gumball began. "This was the best thing to ever happen to us."

"Oh it was nothing, Gumball." says Brian, as the purple fox rubbed his head sheepishly. "I just spotted them along the way and I felt the need to let you guys know."

"It was a good thing that you did, Brian." Darwin informed his friend. "At least now we can make it home in case we miss the bus."

"You got a good point, Darwin. Right now, let's just head back to your place and just chill."

As Brian continued to talk with the Watterson brothers, inching much closer to the Watterson residence, both he and his friends suddenly bumped into what felt like a hard object, causing the trio to fell on the ground. Sensing a case of déjà vu, Brian, as well as Gumball and Darwin, looked up to see who or what it was and they couldn't believe who they were staring at.

'_Oh no, it's him again!'_ Gumball, Darwin and Brian thought simultaneously.

Right in front of them was none other than Ivan Thompson, the brute that they an unfortunate encounter with when they first snuck into Elmore Academy. The trio didn't know what the red bear was doing in this part of the neighborhood to begin with, but whatever he was up to, it certainly won't be good for them at all.

"Look it here, if it isn't Moe, Larry and Curly." Ivan remarked.

"Actually, are name is-" was all Darwin could say, before the red bear rudely cut him off.

"I know what your names are, Blubber Boy! The greeting I just gave right now was sarcastic!"

"Ivan, what do you want from us?" Brian asked, unimpressed by his presence, prompting the red bear to turn his attention to the purple fox.

"Isn't it obvious, you knucklehead? In case you haven't forgotten, I told you guys I would make you wish you weren't born and I'm the kind that's going through with my words."

Gumball, Darwin and Brian gulped in response to the red bear's threat, as the trio slowly backed away from him. The purple fox was especially worried, as he recalled what Ivan intended to do a few weeks ago. It never occurred to Brian that it would happen right now.

"Listen Ivan, why don't we talk about this? I'm sure there's more than one way to settle this" says Gumball, attempting to appease the red bear, as he menacingly approached them.

"After you boneheads made a fool out of me in front of Rhonda? I don't think so, pussycat!" Ivan responded. "But before I give you three your just desserts, I need to prepare my ePhone to capture the moment."

The red bear then pulled out his digital smart phone from his pocket, as Ivan attempted to set the ePhone on camera mode, intending to take a picture of the severe beatings he planned to give to the trio. While the red bear was focusing on his phone, Gumball, Darwin and Brian looked at one another, hoping one of them has a solution to their situation.

"Guys, what do we do?" Darwin whispered.

"I don't know buddy, but we need to think of a plan and fast." Gumball responded. "What about you, Brian?"

"I think I might be on to something…" the purple fox began. "I just hope that brute doesn't notice it."

Their curiosity piqued by that last statement, the Watterson brothers allowed the purple fox to explain his ideas to them. Once Gumball and Darwin understood what Brian's plan was all about, the trio slowly tiptoed their way towards Ivan, hoping to grab the ePhone out of his paw and praying that they can defuse the situation as quickly as they can.

'…_Almost…there…'_ Brian thought, as he and his friends inched towards the ePhone.

But just as the trio almost grabbed the digital smart phone, Ivan sensed something was wrong and turned to see Gumball, Darwin and Brian right next to him, much to his surprise. In a state of shock and panic, the trio quickly tackled the stunned red bear to the ground, but not before Ivan lets go of his ePhone, as the digital smart phone landed on the concrete slab, breaking in the process.

For a while, there was a long, eerie silence, as neither, Brian, the Watterson brothers no Ivan moved or said anything. Finally, the shock from the red bear's face was immediately replaced by sheer anger, as the red bear got up and quickly grabbed the collars of both Gumball and Brian, while his foot stepped on one of Darwin's feet, preventing them from running away from his wrath.

"Look what you boneheads just did right now!" Ivan angrily shouted. "That ePhone was a gift from my mom!"

"We're so sorry about that, Ivan!" Brian fearfully apologized. "It wasn't on purpose, we swear!"

"Brian's right. We didn't mean to destroy your ePhone!" Gumball insisted.

"Please reconsider what you're about to do! We'll even get you a new ePhone." Darwin pleaded.

"Oh no, I'm not falling for that one." Ivan angrily rejected. "I'll give you three a flipping beating you'll never forget!"

"Hold it right there, young man!" an older, feminine voice shouted.

Surprised by this, Ivan turned to the direction of the voice and saw an older blue feline from one of the houses, her head sticking out from the window and staring at Ivan with a stern expression. It didn't take the red bear too long to realize that she is the mother to one of the pipsqueaks.

"You put those boys down this instant and stay put, so I can have a word with you!" Nicole demanded.

Once the older blue feline finished her words, Nicole put her head back inside the house, intending to confront Ivan right away. Aggravated by this, the red bear put Gumball and Brian on the sidewalk, as well as releasing his foot from Darwin's feet.

"We're not done yet, boneheads!" Ivan said to the trio. "We'll finish this at the park tomorrow afternoon. Be there or else!"

Once the red bear made his threats to Brian and the Watterson brothers, Ivan quickly walked away from the scene as fast as he could, just as Nicole came to the terrified boys' aide.

"Are you boys alright?" a worried Nicole asked.

"We're good, thanks to you." Brian responded.

"That's a relief." says Nicole. "By the way, where did that kid go? I was going to show him some manners."

"He left before you had a chance, mom." Gumball replied.

"Maybe it's for the best, Mrs. Mom. I mean, he might not show up." Darwin said to his mother.

"If you boys insist…" Nicole began, calming down a bit. "Anyway, come inside and take a break. It's best to forget your worries after your ordeals."

With that, the trio followed Nicole into the Watterson residence, though as far as Gumball, Darwin and Brian were concerned, they were not out of the woods just yet, as they still had to show up and confront Ivan tomorrow afternoon.

* * *

Normally for Gumball, Darwin and Brian, the trio would either play video games or read comic books whenever they hung out with one another. But for the last several minutes, all the trio could think about was the severe punishment that Ivan planned to give to them.

Both Brian and the Watterson brothers did everything to forget today's incident with Ivan as best as they could, from playing "Dodge or Dare!" to reading last week's comic books. But no matter how hard they tried, all they could think of was Ivan sneering right at them, preparing to give them a beating of a lifetime, as they sat on the couch, watching TV.

"Oh man, I can't believe we have to meet up with Ivan tomorrow." Brian said with great fear.

"How are we going to get ourselves out of this mess?" Gumball asked, hoping for a quick solution.

"Honestly, I don't have the slightest clue." Darwin replied. "At the very least, we should take our punishment like men instead of running away like cowards."

In response, both Gumball and Brian looked at the two-legged fish, both unimpressed and astonished that Darwin would say something like that.

"Darwin, are you saying that we should just show up in the park and let Ivan punch us like practice dummies?" Gumball questioned his friend.

"I'm going to side with Gumball on this one." Brian agreed. "The last thing I want to happen tomorrow is facing that brute's wrath."

"What choice do we have? Either we show up at the park tomorrow or we let Ivan chase us down for the rest of our lives. Plus, he's stronger than all of combined." Darwin pointed out.

Both Gumball and Brian attempted to counter the two-legged fish's words, but after a minute or so, the duo were unable to come up with anything, as they hung their heads, seemingly resigned to the fate that awaited them.

"It's time like this, I which the answer to our problem would show up right away!" Brian gloomily commented.

Just then, a commercial showed up on the TV, presenting a well-dressed leek, as he prepared to make an announcement.

"Hey there fellow viewers, are you looking for the answer to your problems?"

The moment the announcer said those words, both Brian and the Watterson brothers focused their attention on the TV.

"Do you have an enemy that holds a grudge on you? Does he plan on giving you a beating of a lifetime? Do you wish your problem would go right away?"

All the trio could do was nodded their heads to each and every question that the announcer had brought up.

"If that's case, then try Bodyguard Inc., where we send you one of our best bodyguards out there to solve the situation as quickly as possible."

As soon as the well-dressed leek finished his sentence, the scene shifted to a random bully and his victim. However, a random well-built individual shows up right next to said victim and immediately began to intimidate the bully, to the victim's joy.

"Whoa!" Gumball, Darwin and Brian called out in amazement.

"Pretty impressive, isn't it? If you're interested, call the following number on this screen…"

The trio quickly jotted down the number as best as they can, before the commercial came to a sudden end. Once they looked at their writing and double-checked it, Brian and the Watterson brothers made their way to the house phone, the former picking it up and dialed the number for Bodyguard Inc., before waiting patiently for a response.

'_I hope this works for us. It maybe our last hope.'_

After waiting for a few minutes, Brian finally got a call from the other end, much to his and his friends' enjoyment.

"Hello, this is Bodyguard Inc. How may I be of some assistance?" asked the operator.

"Hello operator…" Brian began. "My friends and I wanted to hire the best bodyguard you can provide for us this instant."

"One moment please." says the operator, prompting the trio to wait for his response. Eventually, after a few minutes, they got the response they've been waiting for.

"Your order has been approved. The bodyguard you requested should arrive in thirty seconds or less."

"Don't you mean thirty minutes or-" before Brian tried to correct the operator, the operator at the other end suddenly hung up, cutting the purple fox off. Shortly afterwards, the trio were startled by the sound of the doorbell.

"Wow! That was fast." Gumball noted.

"Let's make sure that this isn't some sort of prank." Darwin cautiously warned.

Nodding their heads in agreement, the trio slowly approached the front door of the Watterson residence. Once they reached the door, Gumball cautiously opened the door, allowing him and his friends to get a full glimpse of the figure. In front of the trio is a tall, muscular swamp monster, covered in green scales, wearing a pair of shades, as well as a black suit and a pair of black loafers; judging from his appearance, the trio had no doubt that he was the bodyguard that they had requested.

"Greetings clients; my name is Hans and I'll be in your service for the time being." the swamp monster introduced himself with a German accent.

The boys couldn't believe their eyes, too speechless to do anything, as they looked at Hans with shock and awe, before Brian eventually spoke, hoping the swamp monster would listen to their situation.

"Mr. Hans…" Brian began. "My name is Brian O'Quinn and these two are Gumball and Darwin Watterson. We really need your assistance tomorrow afternoon."

"State your business for summoning me here in the first place." Hans demanded.

"You see, Hans, me, Darwin and Brian are being targeted by Ivan Thompson, a total jerk who threaten us after we accidentally destroyed his phone." Gumball explained to the swamp monster.

"He happens to be a bear, with red fur and a strand of hair, tall for his age and he wears a school uniform." Darwin said to Hans, describing the red bear.

"So we were wondering if you could get Ivan off our backs tomorrow afternoon so we wouldn't have to face his wrath. Can you please help us out?" Brian pleaded.

Hans stood on the spot and pondered for a while, while Gumball, Darwin and Brian looked on with worried and anxiety. Eventually, after what felt like forever, the swamp monster turned to the trio, ready to give his answer to them.

"I'll help you three out, provided that you hand me ten dollars out. No exception."

Gumball, Darwin and Brian picked up exactly ten dollars from their pockets and handed the swamp monster the money to him, much Hans' satisfaction. Just then, Anais came down the stairs, clinging on to her Daisy the Donkey doll, curious to see what was going on in the living room.

"Guys, what's all the commotion down there? Furthermore, who is-?"

"Threat detected!" Hans declared, before he grabbed Anais' doll from her hands and immediately tear the doll up into little pieces, as the child prodigy looked on with horror. After several seconds, Hans dropped the now tore-up Daisy the Donkey doll on the floor, somewhat satisfied by his search.

"Threat neutralized! You three are safe for the moment." Hans assured the trio, as Gumball, Darwin and Brian couldn't believe what the swamp monster did just now.

"Was that really necessary, Hans?" asked Brian. "That Daisy the Donkey doll wasn't much of a threat at all."

"I'm going to side with Brian on this one…" Darwin began. "I mean, look what you've did to Anais."

The two-legged fish then pointed to the terrified child prodigy, cradling herself in a fetal position and muttering that Daisy the Donkey had been murdered. Hans, however, seemed rather indifferent by this.

"Don't be so overdramatic. Danger comes around every corner and I'm not dropping my guard at any moment."

"But Hans…" was all Gumball could say, before Nicole called the kids out from the kitchen.

"Alright everyone, dinner is served!"

"Threat detected!" Hans shouted, before the swamp monster immediately leaped into the kitchen, as Gumball, Darwin and Brian could hear a loud commotion in the next room, with Nicole and Richard objecting to Hans' behavior. Alarmed and concerned for their well-being, the trio made their way into the kitchen, just to see the swamp monster hurl the pot roast towards the sun with all of his might.

"Not the pot roast!" Richard moaned in disbelief. "I didn't have a chance to take a bite!"

"Who are you and why did you threw our dinner into the sun?!" Nicole asked, demanding an explanation from Hans. "Do you know how long it took me to make that pot roast?"

"I'm just a bodyguard doing my job, ma'am." Hans replied. "But to answer you question, my name is Hans and I've been hired by my clients for their protection."

Nicole looked at the swamp monster, confused by his last statement. Then, the older blue feline eventually realized who he was referring to, prompting her to rub her temples, annoyed that those boys were the one responsible for hiring Hans. Why they decided to go through with it remained a mystery, but this wasn't the time or place to discuss the trio about their actions at the moment.

"Look Hans, I know you did what you have to do, but I insist that you leave this house." said a stern Nicole.

"You and you're husband looked stressed out. I suggest you take a quick nap." Hans replied.

"But we're not tired yet." Richard pointed out, leaving him and his wife confused by the swamp monster's answer. Before they could react, Hans suddenly pinched both their shoulders, leaving both Richard and Nicole shocked, before they collapsed to the floor, completely unconscious.

"You are now." says Hans.

Meanwhile, Gumball, Darwin and Brian looked at one another, somewhat uncomfortable by the swamp monster's action. Even though Hans was doing his job as a bodyguard, he's taking it way too seriously, to the point of overdoing it. Nevertheless, they hope the swamp monster could at least stick around long enough to deal with Ivan tomorrow afternoon.

'_When Hans finished his job tomorrow, we're sending him back to Bodyguards Inc. right away.'_ Brian thought.

* * *

The next day at Elmore Junior High, the days for both students and teachers alike were suddenly shaken up by the loud bursting of the school doors, as a certain swamp monster accompanied Brian and the Watterson brothers to their class. Despite what happened yesterday, the trio couldn't help but feel a bit confident walking in the hallway, as long as they were with Hans.

Just then, as Brian and the Watterson brothers were making their way to Miss Simian's classroom, the trio, along with Hans, stopped dead in their tracks, as they find themselves facing Tina, who was staring right down at them.

"Hello boys…" Tina snarled. "What do we have here? It looks like you've got another stooge protecting your sorry buns."

As the carnivore laughed at her own joke, the swamp monster confronted and slapped her face in response, shocking Tina almost immediately. But rather than being outraged by Hans' action, Tina felt intimidated by the swamp monster's presence and turned to the opposite direction, fleeing from the scene as quickly as she can.

"Wow Hans; that was nice of you to take action." says Gumball.

"I'm just doing my job, that's all." the swamp monster insisted.

"You don't have to actually follow us all over the place…" Brian started to explain to Hans. "Besides Tina, everyone else in school is quite harmless."

"Brian's right" Darwin agreed with the purple fox. "You can just take a break until we need you this afternoon."

Just before Hans could say anything else, Tobias and Banana Joe were walking down the hallway, prepared to greet their fellow classmates. The swamp monster, however, clenched his knuckles in front of the jock and his friend, prompting both Tobias and Banana Joe to nervously back off, before fleeing around the corner, much to the trio's dismay.

'_I hope he doesn't continue to behave like this all day.'_ Brian thought, before him, the Watterson brothers and Hans continued to Miss Simian's class.

* * *

**3 hours later…**

It was the afternoon at the school cafeteria, as everyone made their way to eat or chat with one another. However, thanks to a certain swamp monster, everyone ended up eating all the way at the back of the cafeteria, leaving Brian and the Watterson brothers at their usual spots, surrounded by empty tables.

In class, when Miss Simian was handing out today's surprised quiz, Hans intimidated the old baboon long enough for her to cancel class altogether. As a direct result, the trio, along with Hans, was sent to Mr. Small's class, where the hippie attempted to explain to the swamp monster about his action. Hans, however, only growled in response and before the trio knew what happened, Mr. Small fearfully ushered them out of his office.

As Gumball, Darwin and Brian sat at their table with their meals, clearly irritated by Hans' behavior; the trio reluctantly overlooked the swamp monster's overzealous behavior. After all, they only hired Hans so that he can force Ivan to back off and they only have three hours until that happened. Speaking of which…

"Hey Gumball…" Brian whispered to the blue feline. "We need to make sure that Ivan doesn't know about Hans right away."

"Let's talk about that later, Brian." Gumball whispered back. "What I want to know is how do we get Hans to follow us for the moment? He's making everyone feel uncomfortable right now."

"Gumball's right about this." Darwin agreed with his older brother. "We need to convince our bodyguard to give us a break until we meet up with Ivan in the park this afternoon."

Brian pondered for a moment, hoping to come up with a plan that would convince Hans to take a break, if only so that they can go on with their daily routines. Then, an idea hit the purple fox.

"Guys, I think I found a way to get Hans off our backs and have him show up to face Ivan in the park today." Brian informed him.

Both Gumball and Darwin looked at their friend, arching their eyebrows, somewhat unconvinced by the purple fox's claims. Noticing their doubts on their faces, Brian whispered to his friends about his ideas and after a minute or so, the duo was persuaded enough to allow Brian to go through with his plans.

"Hey Hans, can I have quick chat with you?" Brian asked the swamp monster.

"State your purpose." the swamp monster demanded.

"Look Hans, I know what you're doing is your job…" the purple fox began explaining. "But you're presence is making everyone else feel rather uncomfortable. At the very least, listen to what I have to say, so that my friends and I can go on with our daily routines and you can deal with Ivan this afternoon."

Hans arched an eyebrow, intrigued by Brian's proposal, before he leaned towards the purple fox, as he began to explain what he had in mind.

* * *

The school bell rang for the last time, as every student made their way out of Elmore Junior High. For Gumball, Darwin and Brian, it was no exception and before long, they find themselves making their way towards the park, their day somewhat improved thanks to the purple fox's meddling.

"I can't believe you convince Hans to give us a break for the last three hours." Gumball said to Brian, still astonished about his plan.

"Oh, it was nothing Gumball." Brian insisted. "All I did was to show up at the park the moment we meet up with Ivan and that was it."

"I just wish that we have done yesterday." Darwin commented.

"Don't worry about it Darwin…" Brian began. "This day will come to an end as soon as we confront Ivan for the last time."

As the boys continued to chat with one another, the trio finally made their way to the park and not surprisingly, Ivan was there, waiting patiently near a statue of the town's founder. The moment they made their presence known, Ivan was somewhat surprise to see them at all.

"Well, looks like you boneheads actually have the guts to show up." Ivan sarcastically praised the trio, as the red bear slowly approached them. "For a moment, I honestly thought you shrimps would flake out today and for that, I'm so proud of you three."

Once Ivan 'congratulated' Gumball, Darwin and Brian, he gave the trio a menacing look, as he cracked his knuckles in preparation for their beating.

"So why don't we cut right to the chase and let's get this over with?"

"You know Ivan, you're right. We should get this over with." Brian said in a calm posture, much to the bear's confusion.

"But before you do that…" Gumball began.

"…We want to introduce you to a friend of ours." Darwin added, before blowing a whistle with his flipper.

On cue, Ivan heard some rustlings from some of the large bushes; before he knew what happened, the red bear spotted a large, tall and well-dressed swamp monster coming out of the bushes, as he slowly confronted Ivan, much to his surprise.

"Alright you boneheads…" Ivan began. "Who the heck is that?"

"This happens to be Hans, a bodyguard that we hired yesterday." Brian explained.

"Believe it or not Ivan, you just met your match." says Gumball, while Darwin nodded his head in agreement.

"Is that so?" Ivan questioned the trio, skeptical of their claims. "Alright then, how do you planned to-"

Suddenly, Ivan found himself lifted up in the air, as Hans grabbed him by the collar, leaving the young bear in shock, thanks to the swamp monster's action.

"Hey, w-what's going on h-here?" Ivan fearfully demanded.

"Simple Ivan…" Brian began. "This is our way of making sure that you don't bother us ever again."

"Now that you got the message, maybe now you-"

Before Gumball could finish his sentence, Hans suddenly threw Ivan towards the jungle gym as hard as he could, much to the trio's shock. Fortunately for them, Ivan wasn't seriously injured, though he was definitely frightened by the swamp monster's action.

"What's wrong with this guy?! He's a crazed lunatic!"

Hans suddenly leaped with surprising speed, ready to smashed Ivan into a pulp. Fortunately for Ivan, the red bear managed to get out of the way, as the swamp monster demolished the jungle gym, crushing it into several small pieces. Unwilling to stick around, Ivan fled from the park as fast he can, leaving only Hans and Gumball, Darwin and Brian, the latter mortified by the swamp monster's action just now.

"Hans, what the flip was that about?!" Brian shouted, infuriated by the swamp monster's action.

"You were supposed to intimidate Ivan, not harm him!" Gumball yelled at Hans.

"That was the reason why we hired you to begin with." says Darwin. "We just wanted Ivan off our back, that's all."

"I'm a bodyguard, it's my duty." Hans bluntly explained. "As such, I have an obligation to take out any threats that harms my client, even if I have to eliminate it by any means necessary."

The swamp monster demonstrated his action by punching a nearby tree, as it quickly crumbled into a pile of dust. Before the boys could do anything, Hans quickly dashed to the direction Ivan ran off to and it didn't take the trio too long what the swamp monster intended to do once he found the red bear.

"Oh my goodness, you guys! Hans is going to kill Ivan!" Brian shouted.

"Aah! What should we do?!" asked Gumball.

"Isn't it obvious? We got to stop Hans before it's too late!" Darwin pointed out.

Agreeing with their next course of action, the trio quickly followed in the direction that Hans went off to, praying that they could prevent the swamp monster from getting his hands on Ivan.

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 23-The Bodyguard: Part 2_

_Gumball, Darwin and Brian's attempt for protection horribly backfires and the trio must stop Hans from harming Ivan before it's too late._

**Tidbits**

**-Hans was created by wiseguy1107 and as such, I wanted to give him full credit for creating this character.**

**-For the voice of Hans, both wiseguy1107 and I agreed with Dee Bradley Baker, due to his voice role as Klaus from American Dad.**

**-Decided to do a chapter of Ivan without his gang. Surprisingly, it was not as challenging as I had imagined.**

**I hope everyone enjoyed reading this and I'll see ya next chapter!**


	23. The Bodyguard: Part 2

**I just wanted to thank wiseguy1107 for helping me out with this chapter!**

**Anyway, read and enjoy!**

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 23-The Bodyguard: Part 2

Several minutes had passed since Brian and the Watterson brothers began searching for Hans and Ivan, hoping that they could stop the former from harming the latter.

The boys couldn't believe what had just happened not so long ago; Hans, their bodyguard, had actually tried to harm Ivan, despite the impression that he merely going to intimidate the red bear. Sure, what he did back at the Watterson residence and the school was over-the-top and overzealous. But up until that point, all the swamp monster did was scared the daylights out of anyone who crossed his path. However, his recent action against Ivan proved to be the last straw.

'_I can't believe we overlooked Hans' behavior! I really wished that we hadn't called Bodyguards Inc. to begin with!'_ Brian thought, as he and his friends continued their search.

Eventually, after what felt like forever, the boys stopped dead in their tracks, noticing the heavy damages all over the town. Some of the buildings looked as if they were blown to bits. The lamp posts were twisted in all the wrong places, somehow being easily bent. But most of all, they spotted dozens cars piled up together, followed by broken pavements and hydrants.

If Brian and the Watterson brothers knew any better, there was no doubt that Hans and Ivan were here and judging from the scenery, it was clear that the swamp monster was relentless in his pursuit.

"At least we know we're on the right track." Gumball commented.

"But we still haven't seen Hans or Ivan around." Darwin pointed out.

"Darwin's right." Brian spoke out, agreeing with the two-legged fish. "Where the flip are those two?"

On cue, there was a sudden loud explosion coming from one of the buildings, prompting the startled trio to quickly make their way to the direction of said explosion. Upon arrival, Brian and the Watterson brothers witnessed Ivan hiding behind a pile of broken boxes, as Hans came out of the destroyed building unscathed, with a look of determination on his face.

"Ivan, prepare to meet your maker this instant!" Hans demanded.

"C'mon man, can we talk about this?!" Ivan fearfully shouted back, as the red bear poked his head from behind the boxes.

In response, the swamp monster dashed towards Ivan, prompting the red bear to roll over on to his side, just as Hans barreled through the boxes, obliterating them like they were nothing. Startled by the swamp monster's action, Ivan ran past Brian and the Watterson brothers, with the swamp monster in pursuit.

"Hans wait!" Gumball, Darwin and Brian simultaneously shouted.

But the boys' pleas fell on deaf ears, as Hans continued to follow Ivan, plowing through several cars, hydrants and lamp posts along the way, leaving nothing but a trail of destruction. Both Brian and the Watterson brothers looked on with disbelief.

"Great, it looks like Hans is really determined to get rid of Ivan." Brian fearfully said.

"We can't stay around and let that happen, even if Ivan is a jerk." Gumball pointed out.

"Gumball's right…" Darwin began. "We have to follow Hans and try to think of a plan to save Ivan as quickly as possible."

With this determination in mind, the boys continue to pursue the swamp monster, hoping that the menacing bodyguard hadn't caught up with Ivan.

* * *

It was just another day for Larry and Karen, as the two were off in another date around the town of Elmore. For the rock humanoid, he prayed that this was the right time and moment to propose to his long-time girlfriend and the last thing that Larry wanted to happen was another awkward moment between them.

"Oh Karen, I've been waiting for this moment." Larry said to his girlfriend, as went on his knee and pulled a box from his pocket, before opening it to reveal a diamond ring. "Karen, would you be my-"

The moment was suddenly interrupted by the wailing of a young red bear, as he quickly passed the rock humanoid and his girlfriend with dear life. Before either of them could have any time to react, a blur of green suddenly passed by them, followed by a blur of blue, orange and purple, causing Larry to spin around like a tornado. Once the spinning ceased, Larry quickly found himself wearing nothing but his trademark hat, shirt and underpants, something that Karen quickly noticed.

"Um, I could explain…" was all Larry had to say, as the rock humanoid found himself in yet another awkward situation with his girlfriend.

* * *

Mr. Robinson happily drove his car on the street, for the sun was shining brightly and the blue sky was clear with no cloud in sight. For once, the older puppet was in a rather good mood for a change and nothing is going to ruin the day.

At least, that was the impression he had on today until he noticed a young red bear passing by him with a look of fear in his face. Before Mr. Robinson could do anything, a swamp monster appeared right in front of his car, as he proceeded to flip both the car and its occupant up in the air. After several seconds, the car came crashing down, breaking into several pieces, though Mr. Robinson crawled from his vehicle unharmed.

"Ugh…what just happened?" the older puppet asked no one in particular.

"Mr. Robinson! Are you alright?!"

Mr. Robinson could only cringed in response, as he reluctantly turned to see a certain blue feline looking at him with concern, alongside a certain two-legged fish and a purple fox he didn't recall eve seeing before.

"Does it look like that I'm alright, Gumball?!" the older puppet rudely responded to the blue feline.

"Sir, all Gumball did was just ask if you were alright! You didn't have to react like that!" Brian shouted at Mr. Robinson.

"Calm down Brian, I'm sure Mr. Robinson didn't mean it like that." says Darwin, before focusing his attention on the older puppet. "Mr. Robinson, we need to ask you a quick question. Did you-"

Before Darwin could finish his sentence, the older puppet cut him off, as if he already knew the answer right away.

"If you're talking about a swamp monster chasing a red bear, they went that way."

Mr. Robinson then pointed the trio to the direction that Hans and Ivan went; once they got the answer they needed, Gumball, Darwin and Brian immediately headed off to continue their pursuit, just as a driving wheel came down on the older puppet's head, much to his annoyance.

"I hate my life." a disgruntled Mr. Robinson muttered under his breath.

* * *

It was another busy day for Mr. Fitzgerald, as he and his construction workers were hired to construct the latest building in the ever growing town that is Elmore. For the bulky antler peanut, it was just another day at work and as long as he and his workers were on schedule, nothing could possibly go wrong, until…

"Out of the way!" a young voice fearfully shouted.

Startled, Mr. Fitzgerald turned to see a young, red bear heading into his direction, before he passed the bulky antler peanut and quickly entered into the construction zone. Just then, a well-dressed swamp monster suddenly showed up and went into the construction zone as well, followed by a certain blue feline and his friends.

"Sorry Mr. Fitzgerald, but were doing something very important right now!" Gumball called back, as him, Darwin and Brian headed into the construction zone.

Mr. Fitzgerald, for his part, just stood in his spot, completely dumbfounded by what he just witnessed. Although suspicious by this turn of event, Mr. Fitzgerald just shrugged his shoulders and focused back on his work once more, pretending that he didn't see a single thing.

* * *

Ivan couldn't believe how today was turning out for him. Just moments ago, the red bear was planning to make mince-meats out of Brian and his friends for getting his ePhone destroyed. Instead, he found himself being chased by a psychopath that intended to end his life right then and there. He didn't know how long it has been since then, but frankly, he doesn't care, just as long as he made it out alive.

'_This is seriously not cool at all!'_ Ivan frantically thought. _'I really don't want to die just yet! I haven't even got my first kiss!'_

As Ivan continued to run for his life, he took a quick peek from behind to see Hans continued to run towards him, destroying some of the construction equipments in his path. Panic soon set in on the young bear, prompting him to run even faster than before. Upon seeing some stairs, Ivan quickly rushed towards them, with Hans right behind him, much to the red bear's dismay.

'_Doesn't this guy ever get tired?!'_

Meanwhile, Gumball, Darwin and Brian were completely exhausted from their constant running; despite their best effort to catch up with them, the trio was no closer to stopping Hans from harming Ivan. Sooner or later, the swamp monster will not only catch up with the red bear, he'll go through with his intention.

"Gumball, what should we do now?" asked Brian.

"Honestly, I don't know, Brian." Gumball replied. "But we really need to think of a plan in order to save Ivan."

"Dude, we need more than a plan. We need to pull of a miracle!" Darwin exclaimed.

"Can't argue with that, Darwin…" Brian began. "But we need to come up with something to completely fool Hans and we need to come up with a solution and fast!"

The boys then began to ponder about their next move, hoping that at least one of them could come up with the answer to their problems. After a few minutes, an idea finally came to the trio; none of them were sure if it would work, but it was better than nothing.

"Are you thinking what I am thinking?" Brian asked his friends, prompting Gumball and Darwin to nod their heads in agreement.

"Alright then…" Brian began. "To the prop store this instant!"

As soon as the purple fox shouted those words, Darwin looked at Brian in confusion.

"Why are heading to the prop store for? I thought we're here to save Ivan."

Brian, however, didn't respond right away, as he face palmed before he eventually answered the two-legged fish's question.

"Darwin, the prop store is part of the plan to save Ivan."

"Brian's right, Darwin…" says Gumball. "If you want to know why, just follow our instruction when we get there."

"Okay." Darwin said happily

With that decided, both Brian and the Watterson brothers went off to the store, hoping that they have enough time to save Ivan from Hans' wrath.

* * *

Ivan continued to climb up the stairs like mad, going from one floor after another, while Hans was as relentless as usual, following the frantic red bear with no end in sight. By now, Ivan felt his body going numb from all the running, as the pain was now starting to express itself. Nevertheless, the red bear chose to ignore it altogether and continued to run up to the next floor.

"I wish this was all a dream to begin with." Ivan muttered under his breath.

But as he managed to reach the next floor, Ivan was to dismay to find that the area he was in was still in construction. Just when he realized this, the red bear felt a horrifying chill down his spine and with great reluctance, Ivan slowly turned to see Hans standing at a distance, cracking his knuckles and preparing to follow through with his threat.

"Please reconsider what you're doing right now." Ivan pleaded with Hans. "I'll do anything you wanted, I swear!"

"I'm afraid I don't do negotiations, Ivan." Hans bluntly replied. "As a bodyguard, I have to eliminate any threat that comes to my clients and you are no exception."

Ivan backed away from Hans as best as he could, as the swamp monster slowly advanced on the frightened red bear. But as Ivan continued to back off, the young bear felt a cold, hard object right behind him. Curious by this, Ivan turned to see a rather long flag pole right next to him, prompting the red bear to climb all the way to the top as quickly as he could. By the time Ivan reached to the top, Hans approached the flag pole, unimpressed with the bear's action.

"That doesn't change anything, Ivan. I will get you by any means."

"Exactly how are you-"

Before Ivan could finish his sentence, the red bear noticed that the swamp monster was cracking his knuckles once again. With one war cry, Hans unleashed a barrage of punches at the flag pole, each hit causing it to shake like mad, as Ivan continued to cling on to it with all of his might. After what felt like an eternity, Hans made one final punch on the flag pole, releasing a wave of energy around it. Expecting something disastrous to occur, Ivan noticed that the flag pole was still standing, much to his confusion.

'_That's odd…'_ Ivan wondered. _'For second there, I thought for sure it was-'_

Suddenly, the red bear heard a cracking noise from down below, as the flag pole began to sway side-by-side. As Ivan continued to cling on, the pressure within the flag pole finally gave way, as the pole snapped backwards, sending its frightened occupant down to the ground. But at the very last minute, the flog pole ended up getting wedged by two pillars of girder, preventing Ivan from falling to his doom.

'_Wow! That was a close one!'_ Ivan thought, as the red bear sighed with relief.

But his joy was short-lived, as the end of the flag pole Ivan was hanging on suddenly snapped, sending the red bear towards the ground. Fortunately for him, a large pile of burlap sacks were resting on the ground, cushioning the fall for Ivan, as the red bear received only minor injuries from his fall, much to his happiness.

'_Thank goodness I'm still alive!'_

"Ivan, are you alright?" a voice whispered to the bear's ear, prompting Ivan to yelp back, only to see a concern Brian right next to him.

"Oh, it just you." Ivan replied, silently thanking that he was actually glad to see the purple fox for once.

"Listen Ivan, I know that me, Gumball and Darwin are inadvertently responsible for your dilemma, but don't worry, we got everything under control."

"What are you talking about?" asked Ivan, arching an eyebrow in curiosity.

"This is no time for arguments, Ivan! We have to hide behind these burlaps sacks and let Gumball and Darwin takeover from there."

Ivan continued to stare at Brian, still curious about what he and his friends were up to. Despite his own reservation, the red bear complied with the purple fox's demand and the two continued to hide behind the burlap sacks, as Gumball and Darwin were heading towards Hans, carrying with them a rather large object.

"Hans, are you still there?" Gumball called out to the swamp monster, prompting Hans to immediately dash down from the top floor and to the ground right away.

"What is it right now? Can't you see that I'm busy with my job at the moment?"

"That's why we're here, Hans." Darwin explained. "We got Ivan right in our grasps."

Puzzled by the two-legged fish's claims, the swamp monster inched his head towards the object that Gumball and Darwin carrying. The object in question was a mannequin that somehow resembled Ivan, from the features of the red bear and all the way down to the outfit that he wore.

While Hans continued to inspect the Ivan mannequin, the real Ivan and Brian looked on from the distance, the former having doubts that the swamp monster would be so easily fooled by the getup.

"Is that the best you three could come up with? There's no way that lunatic is going to fell for something like that."

"Just trust us on this one." Brian calmly replied, before him and Ivan resumed focusing their attention to Hans once more.

The swamp monster, meanwhile, inspected the Ivan mannequin one more time, before he stopped in his tracks and pondered on the spot, leaving Gumball, Darwin, Brian and Ivan nervously awaiting Hans' next course of action. Finally, after what felt like a long time, the swamp monster turned to the Watterson brothers, ready for his response.

"I have to say, I'm quite impressed what you two just did right now." Hans admitted to the duo. "For a second, I thought for sure you would actually try to stop my pursuit."

Hans' last sentence left the Watterson brothers rather nervous, as the duo slightly chuckle in response. Fortunately for them, it appeared that the swamp monster didn't notice their reaction right away.

"If you two don't mind, I have a task to finish up."

Before Gumball and Darwin knew what happened, Hans grabbed the Ivan mannequin by its collar and proceeded to pulverize it in the most unimaginable way, leaving them, Brian and Ivan quite shocked by the swamp monster's action. Ivan was especially mortified by the scene he was just witnessing right now; if that mannequin was him, he would have been a goner for sure.

Hans continued to brutally tear up the Ivan mannequin with no mercy in sight for several minutes, until the mannequin itself was nothing more than several tiny pieces on the ground, much to the swamp monster's satisfaction.

"It looks like my job here is finally done." Hans commented, taking one last look at the mannequin, before he focused his attention to Gumball and Darwin, as the duo looked on with discomfort.

"You and your buddies are free from Ivan's wrath. There's no need to thank me, I'm just doing what a bodyguard is suppose to do."

With that said, Hans immediately dashed out of the construction site, leaving only Gumball, Darwin, Brian and Ivan, as the four sighed with relief. Once they were certain that the swamp monster was no longer in their presence, Brian and Ivan went towards Gumball and Darwin to regroup.

"That was a close one, wasn't it Gumball?" asked Brian.

"It sure was Brian." Gumball replied.

"At least we finally got rid of Hans off our back." Darwin stated.

"That's a relief." says Brian, before he turned to Ivan with concern. "Ivan, are you alright?"

"Am I alright?! I was chased around town by a crazed lunatic that you three were indirectly responsible and you're asking if I'm ALRIGHT?!"

Gumball, Darwin and Brian recoil in shock, their faces cringing in response to Ivan's statement, before they noticed the anger disappearing from the red bear's face, replaced by relief and calmness.

"Yes furball, I'm alright, thanks to you and your friends." Ivan finally answered Brian's question. "I'm just glad that this nightmare is finally over."

Both Brian and the Watterson brothers sighed with relief, knowing that Ivan was at least showing his gratitude for their effort minutes ago. Then, something hit Darwin.

"What about your ePhone, Ivan?" the two-legged fish asked.

"Forget about it." Ivan replied. "I'll just tell mom about it. Just my way of saying I forgive you guys."

"That's good to hear." says Gumball.

"Oh, one more thing, furball…" Ivan began, much to Brian's curiosity.

"What's that?"

Before he and his friends knew what happened, the red bear expressed a serious and stern expression, before Ivan spoke his words.

"This incident never happened at all."

Gumball, Darwin and Brian nervously shook their heads in agreement, assuring that their mouths are sealed. Satisfied by their response, Ivan, Brian and the Watterson brothers went their separate ways, pretending that the entire ordeal never took place at all.

* * *

The rest of the entire afternoon went on without any further incidents, as Gumball, Darwin and Brian took the transit bus all the way back to the neighborhood. Once they arrived to their destination, the trio got off the bus and made the walk to the Watterson residence, as the boys reflected on today's event.

"That was one flipping day, wasn't it Gumball?" Brian asked the blue feline

"I couldn't agree more, Brian." Gumball replied. "I'm just glad that everything turned out alright in the end."

"Let's all agree that we won't call Bodyguards Inc. anymore from now on." Darwin spoke out.

"Agreed." Gumball and Brian simultaneously said.

Once the duo assured the two-legged fish, the trio continued to head to the Watterson residence for a day of relaxation. Then, out of nowhere, Idaho suddenly showed up in their path, looking rather excited, much to the boys' curiosity.

"Guys, you wouldn't believe what happened to me!" Idaho excitedly exclaimed.

"What is it, Idaho?" Brian questioned the potato.

"I was able to make a friend and he was fun to hang out. In fact, he should be coming here in any second now!"

"Who is exactly is…your…friend…"

Gumball trailed off before he could say anything else, as a large figure showed up right next to Idaho. Likewise, Brian and Darwin were just as speechless, as the trio find themselves facing a certain swamp monster cracking his knuckles and ready to do his job. There was only one thing that the boys could think of right now

'_Oh no!'_

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 24-The Blind_

_After being pranked one too many times, Brian decided to get even with Jamie with a prank of his own-with disastrous results._

**Tidbits**

**-Once again, I want to thank wiseguy1107 for creating Hans, as well as helping me out on this chapter.**

**-First time I was able to fit Mr. Robinson and Mr. Fitzgerald into the story, along with Larry and Karen. It's not much, but it was better than nothing.**

**-Speaking of Mr. Robinson, the brief conversation between him and Brian does foreshadow an upcoming chapter, but for now, my lips are sealed.**

**Thanks to everyone who had read part 2 of "The Bodyguard" and I'll be seeing ya next chapter!**


	24. The Blind

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 24-The Blind

It was morning at the O'Quinn residence, as Brian got up and did his usual morning routine; before he got down to get breakfast. As always, his parents were downstairs having their usual breakfast, just as their son made his way in to the room.

"Good morning!" Brian greeted his folks.

"Good morning, Brian." Annie and Gordon simultaneously greeted back.

As the purple fox made his way to the cupboard, Brian opened one of the cabinets when he was suddenly assaulted by what appeared to be snakes. Almost immediately, the frightened fox desperately tried to get rid of them as quickly as he could, before he heard his parent's laughing out loud.

"Looks like your mom got you real good!" Gordon shouted out, trying his best not to laugh too hard.

"What are you-" before Brian could finish his words, he noticed that the snakes weren't moving at all. Upon further inspection, he realized that these 'snakes' were nothing more than worn-out dolls, much to his surprise.

"Looks like you just had been pranked!" Annie commented, before snickering out loud.

"Alright mom, you got me real good." Brian calmly said to his mother. "But to be honest, it wasn't that impressive."

"The reaction on your face says otherwise." Gordon pointed out.

"Anyway…" Brian began, wanting to change the subject. "I need to get to my school, mom."

"Sure Brian, no problem." Annie replied. "But first, put it up sport."

Annie then stretched her arm out to Brian, allowing him to shake her paw. Though suspicious by his mother's action, Brian shrugged his shoulder and reached his paw out to shake his mother's. But just then, Brian received an unexpected jolt out of nowhere and before he knew it, his mother showed the joy buzzer concealed underneath her paw.

"Looks like I got you again!" Annie exclaimed, as Brian could only grumble in annoyance.

* * *

After his mom dropped him off to Elmore Junior High, Brian was able to catch up with Gumball and Darwin, hoping that a simple conversation with his friends would make forget about the pranks his mom pulled on him earlier.

"Hey guys." Brian greeted the Watterson brothers.

"Hey Brian." Gumball and Darwin greeted back.

"So, did I miss anything?" asked Brian.

"Not much so far, Brian." Gumball replied. "But we do have to get our stuff for Ms. Simian's class today. Who knows what she has in stored for us."

"You're right Gumball, we should get ourselves prepared just in case." says Brian.

"I couldn't agree more." Darwin happily said.

Once they made their minds up, the trio headed towards their lockers in preparation for a possible surprise quiz from the old, cantankerous baboon. But halfway in their destination, the purple fox suddenly tripped and fell to the floor, much to his and his friends' confusion. As the Watterson brothers help Brian get up to his feet, the trio could hear a snickering from behind them.

"Have a nice trip there, furball?" Jamie sarcastically asked.

Brian, however, chose to ignore the hybrid's question and resumed heading to his locker alongside his friends. As soon as he arrived to his locker, the purple fox opened it, only to be greeted by a pie in the face. As an annoyed Brian wiped off the remains of the pie, both he and the Watterson brothers turned to see Jamie snickering much louder and it was clear she was responsible for the recent prank just now.

"What's up with Jamie?" Brian asked Gumball and Darwin. "Why does she behave like that?"

"To be honest, it beats me." Gumball replied. "All I know is that Miss Simian held her back one year ago for talking back to her."

"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me one bit." Brian deadpanned.

"Cheer up Brian, don't let Jamie ruin the day because of a few simple pranks." Darwin attempted to calm the purple fox down. "In fact, I bet that she's already done for the day."

"You know, you're right Darwin." Brian agreed with the two-legged fish. "I should let bygones be bygones and just move on."

With that said, the trio resumed getting their materials for class, hoping that they can be prepared for another of Miss Simian's devious tricks.

* * *

**3 hours later…**

Gumball, Darwin and Brian sat at their usual spot in the cafeteria, with today's menu on their tray. But for the purple fox, his day had hardly improved at all, thanks to the actions of a certain hybrid.

During Miss Simian's class, Jamie shot a barrage of spitballs at Brian's head, forcing the purple fox to clean off most of paper wads in the boys' bathroom. During PE, the hybrid thought it was amusing by putting ants down Brian's pants and Brian ended making a complete fool out of himself in the process. Finally, just before lunch, Jamie tampered with the water fountain, resulting in Brian covered from head to toe in water.

Thinking of the hybrid's prank was getting onto Brian's nerve, as the purple fox's face turned bright red with anger, growling with dissatisfaction how today was turning out. His patience was nearing its limits and if this keeps up, he was about to completely lose it!

While the purple fox was lost in his thoughts, a certain child prodigy strolled along their table and as usual, was ready to greet them at a notice moment.

"Hey guys."

"Hey Anais." Gumball, Darwin and Brian greeted; the latter, however, was less enthusiastic.

"What's wrong Brian?" Anais asked the purple fox.

"If you must know, Jamie is making my day a lot worse with each passing minute." Brian gloomily responded.

"She's been doing this since this morning, sis." Gumball started to explain. "And she still hasn't stopped pranking him since then."

"Wow, sorry to hear that Brian." Anais said with sympathy

"Thanks Anais..." Brian began. "But that doesn't change the fact that Jamie is enjoying this."

"She's going to have to stop eventually." says Darwin. "I mean, she can't keep this up forever."

"Besides, I bet she's starting to lose interest pranking you about now."

Just then, Brian felt something soft and wet smacked his head. It didn't take the purple fox too long to realize what had occurred, as he could hear Jamie snickering from behind and it was clear that the hybrid was the one who threw her lunch at him.

Needless to say, Brian's anger grew even larger by this discovery. While he could brush off his mother's pranks, the pranks that Jamie was giving him were another story. Something needed to be done this instant…wait a minute! Of course! He couldn't believe the answer to his problem was right in front of him.

The moment the idea came to Brian's head caused him to calm down right away, as the anger from his face was slowly replaced by a wide grin. His demeanor didn't go unnoticed, as the Watterson siblings looked at their friend with confusion.

"Brian, are you feeling alright?" Darwin asked his friend.

"Why are you grinning like that all of a sudden?" Gumball questioned the purple fox. "It's kind of creeping me out."

"If I know any better, I'm betting you're planning to get even with Jamie." Anais stated.

"That's exactly what I'm about to do." Brian replied. "In fact, Jamie won't even realize what's coming at her."

Before either of the Watterson siblings could questioned Brian further, the purple fox immediately left for the hallway, as he picked up his cell phone and call his mother back home.

"Mom, are you still there? Listen, I need to ask you something very important…"

* * *

Once Brian made his call to his mother, the purple fox waited outside the entrance of Elmore Junior High, as he impatiently sat on the steps. Eventually, Brian saw a silver coupe coming by the driveway, as it pulled right near the school's entrance, before rolling its window down, revealing Annie on the driver's seat.

"Hey sport." Annie greeted her son.

"Hey mom, did you get what I needed?" Brian asked, as he approached the silver coupe.

"Just found it in the closet." Annie replied, before she handed her son a seemingly ordinary gift box to him.

"Hard to believe this is it." Brian stated, still a bit astonished what he had received in his paws.

"Don't be fool by its appearance, Brian…" Annie explained. "This is one prank you should be very careful with. Whatever you do, don't look directly into it."

"Don't worry mom, I'll be careful." Brian assured his mother, before he heads back inside the school, intending to carry out with his plan.

* * *

Jamie, along with Tina and Anton, were laughing at their table, as they couldn't believe how today was turning out. From the morning all the way to the afternoon, the hybrid was able to make a complete fool out of Brian every chance she had. She could still recall seeing the reaction on the fox's face and her only regret about it was that she didn't even had a camera with her.

'_What a maroon!'_ Jamie happily thought. _'I can't believe furball fell for those pranks!'_

As Jamie and her friends continue to laugh at Brian's misfortune, the door to the cafeteria suddenly burst wide open, prompting the hybrid and her pals to see Brian walking calmly towards them, smiling for some reason and hiding something behind his back. The fox's strange demeanor earned some curiosity from the trio, wondering what Brian was up to.

"What do you want furball?" Jamie asked, arching an eyebrow with suspicion. "As a matter of fact, why are you acting like that so suddenly?"

"Oh, it's nothing Jamie." Brian happily replied. "I just thought that since you were in a good mood, I want to present you with this gift."

Before either Jamie or her friends knew it, the purple fox showed her what appeared to be a simple white gift box, tied with an elaborate red bow. Jamie was clearly surprised by this, for it was the last thing she ever expected; likewise, everyone was equally surprised by Brian's action, especially the Watterson siblings, as the three approached their friend with confusion on their faces.

"That's it?! This is what you have in mind?!" an astonished Gumball exclaimed.

"Of all the things you could think of, why a gift box?" asked Darwin.

"I have to agree with my brothers on this one." says Anais. "This isn't what I expect you to do at all."

Brian, however, didn't answer their questions right away, as he only winked his eyes in response. After a couple of seconds, Gumball, Darwin and Anais clearly understood what he was doing and decided to just play along with him for the moment.

"So Jamie, what do you think?" Brian asked the hybrid.

Jamie couldn't believe what she was looking at; in front of her, was a genuine gift box. What did the purple fox buy for her? For that matter, why did he buy something for her to begin with, despite what she had done to him all day?

"Jamie!" Tina called out to her friend, snapping the hybrid back to reality. "I don't think you should accept it. I bet this is a prank."

"Calm down, Tina. We don't know if that's his intention." Anton attempted to calm the carnivore down. "Besides, I think it's up to Jamie to decide."

"I'm going to agree with the toast for once." says Jamie, much to Tina's surprise. "At least let me take a look at it."

With her mind made up, Jamie happily snatched the gift box from Brian's paws, as the hybrid began to unwrap it, both curious and ecstatic to see what's inside.

'_I don't know what it is, but I don't care! It was nice of Brian to get me something!'_

Once Jamie removed the last of the wrapping paper, the hybrid slowly opened the lid, hoping to get a nice peek of her gift. But as she removed the top, a bright flash of light suddenly emitted from the gift box, sending the unfortunate hybrid back to the wall, before she fall to the floor face first, as Brian calmly walked towards the hybrid with a smile.

"Jamie, you just been pranked."

Everyone in the cafeteria was silent, stunned to see that Brian, off all people, was able pull off a prank on Jamie, one of the toughest bullies in school. For a while, there was a long, eerie silence all over the cafeteria, as no one said or made a single move. Finally, the kids burst into laughter, as they were amazed that the hybrid fell for such a simple trick.

"Augh…" Jamie moaned, as she got up on her feet, her hands covering her face. "What did you do to me, furball?! I can't see a thing at all!"

"Oh come on, Jamie. Even I'm not that gullible enough to fall for that one." Gumball flatly said to the hybrid.

"You don't understand, you knucklehead! I'm **BLIND**!"

Jamie then showed her face to everyone around, revealing her now blank eyes, as the crowd stopped laughing and gasped with horror. As everyone looked on with worry and concern, Brian was left horrified what his action has done to Jamie. This was the last thing he wanted to happen and guilt soon clouded his mind.

* * *

Brian waited outside of the nurse's office, leaning in the hallway, as he looked down on the floor with remorse and guilt. Feeling responsible for Jamie's condition, the purple fox took her to the nurse's office as quickly as possible, hoping that the School Nurse could at least help the hybrid out as best as she can.

'_I can't believe what just happened!'_ Brian gloomily thought. _'I really hope my prank didn't cause any serious harm.'_

Just then, the School Nurse came out of her office, alongside Jamie, the latter wearing a pair of shades to cover her now blank eyes. Concerned for the hybrid's well-being, Brian cautiously approached them, before asking the School Nurse for some answers.

"Excuse me, but can you tell me how bad Jamie's condition is?"

"Don't worry about that, kiddo. Her vision wasn't as bad as I thought." the School Nurse explained. "Her blindness is temporary and she'll recover her vision in about three hours."

"Are you serious?!" Jamie angrily exclaimed. "I have to wait for the next three hours doing nothing until I can see again?!"

"That's what you get for exposing your eyes to intense light to begin with." the School Nurse deadpanned, causing Jamie to growl in aggravation. "Anyway, your friend here should look after you for the moment. Until then, be careful."

With that, the School Nurse went back to her office to resume her work, leaving Brian and Jamie in the hallway. Despite some hesitation on his part, the purple fox decided to take a chance and attempted to talk to the already irate hybrid.

"Jamie, are you al-"

"Zip it, furball!" Jamie rebuffed, cutting off the fox's words. "This is your fault! If you didn't blind me in the first place, I wouldn't be in this mess!"

"Well excuse me!" Brian angrily retorted. "I'm not the one who keeps pulling various pranks all day long for no apparent reason! Perhaps this wouldn't have been a bad day for you if you had stopped pranking me to begin with!"

"Whatever!" Jamie nonchalantly responded. "Look, I'm not in the mood right now. If you want to help me, then fine. Just do a good job being my eyes and ears and don't get in my way."

As much as Brian would like to decline the hybrid's request, a part of him felt that he had to do this, since he was directly involved with her temporary blindness and it was the right thing to do. At the very least, the purple fox wanted to make sure that Jamie was at least safe and unharmed, in spite of her actions towards him this morning.

With that in mind, the purple fox let out a sigh and complied with Jamie's request, as he led the blind hybrid down the hallway. Along the way, Brian noticed that some of the students expressed their pity to Jamie, while a few others decided to take advantage of the hybrid's condition, as Tobias, along with Banana Joe, casually walked towards her.

"Hey Jamie, I'll tell you what really caused your blindness. That reflection of yours finally recognized how ugly you really are." Tobias informed the hybrid, causing a few to chuckle from his classmates.

"Say that in my face so I could knock that smug off of yours, Tobias!" Jamie called out to the jock.

Tobias, however, didn't feel threatened by the slightest, as Banana Joe calmly walked up to Jamie, imitating a ringing phone, before handing the hybrid a worn-out shoe.

"Looks like you just received an important call just now." Banana Joe sarcastically remarked.

"Get lost!" Jamie then throw the shoe to the opposite direction and much to Brian's horror, the shoe was hurling towards Miss Simian, hitting her on the head, before the ill-tempered teacher turned around, her face simmering in anger.

"Who threw this shoe at me?!" the cantankerous baboon demanded.

Unwilling to stay and face the baboon's wrath, Brian quickly dragged Jamie to the other side of the hallway, hoping that Miss Simian didn't notice them there. After the exhausted fox took a quick peak around the corner, Brian sighed with relief before he turned his attention to the hybrid, clearly frustrated from her action just now.

"Jamie, you almost got us into trouble!" Brian scolded the hybrid.

"So? This is how I always solved my problem every day." Jamie responded dismissively.

"Well you're going to have to stop that for now." Brian explained. "At the very least, can you promise me that you'll keep your temper in check?"

"…Fine, I'll try my best to stay calm." Jamie reluctantly complied. "But I can't make any promises."

"That's all I needed to hear, Jamie." says Brian, sighing with relief.

Satisfied with the hybrid's promise, Brian continued to lead Jamie through the hallway, hoping that there wouldn't be any more unfortunate events for now.

* * *

**30 minutes later…**

The afternoon wasn't turning out the way Brian had hope for, as Jamie was continuing to create a lot of problems, thanks to the actions of a certain jock, alongside his friend.

In an effort to get Jamie to loose her cool completely, Tobias attempted to get the hybrid to walk to the boys' bathroom just for the sake of amusement, though Brian managed to prevent the hybrid from walking in. As if that wasn't enough, the jock and the banana somehow made the time to make various traps for the hybrid, prompting the purple fox to lead the blind hybrid to safety, getting hurt in the process in doing so. Finally, Tobias tricked Jamie by having her walk straight into Hector's path and the hybrid would have been squashed had Brian quickly pushed her out of the way, getting himself hurt instead.

'_This is getting ridiculous! I don't know how much more I should handle at this rate!'_

As the bruised and battered Brian got up from the floor, dusting himself off, the purple fox noticed both Tobias and Banana Joe walking up to him, somewhat annoyed by his actions.

"What's the big deal?" the jock demanded. "Why are you helping out that troglodyte? She's nothing more than a bully."

"That doesn't mean she deserves to get bullied back." Brian retorted.

"And I suppose what you did is any different?" Banana Joe questioned the fox.

"What I did back there was meant to be harmless!" Brian insisted. "Look, why don't you two just get lost already?"

For a moment, both Tobias and Banana Joe stood where they were, glaring at the purple fox with dissatisfaction. Eventually, they grudgingly complied with Brian's demand and walked away from him, just as Jamie managed to approach the fox.

"Are you alright?" Brian asked with concern

"You know I can take of myself." Jamie bluntly replied.

"I know that…" Brian began. "But I just wanted to show you that I take full responsibility for my actions."

"So that's why you keep getting in my way to begin with, even though doing so got you hurt?" Jamie questioned the fox.

"I didn't exactly enjoy getting myself hurt protecting you, but it was better than seeing you in harm's way." Brian explained.

As soon as the purple fox offer his explanation, Jamie was quite stunned by this. She couldn't believe that after what she put him through this morning, he was more than willing to help her out, despite being one of the bullies of Elmore Junior High. Jamie couldn't believe what she was about to do next, but for some reason, it felt very good to do so.

"Well…" the hybrid began, as she rubbed her head sheepishly. "I suppose this is your way of saying sorry, so I can accept that."

"So, we're cool?" asked Brian.

"Don't push your luck, furball." Jamie responded. "But I might go easy on you tomorrow."

Brian couldn't help but smile by the hybrid's last statement. But just as he was about to say another word, the purple fox felt a slight tremor behind, growing louder with each step. Eventually, the tremor stopped, prompting Brian to slowly turned around and saw Tina looking down at him, clearly angry at him for his action at the cafeteria.

"What do you think you're doing to my friend?" Tina snarled, bearing her sharp fangs. "Don't think you done enough for one day?"

Before Brian could say anything, the blind hybrid approached the angry carnivore and began to speak up for the purple fox, much to Tina's surprise.

"It's alright Tina. Furball here was just helping me out, so it's cool."

"But Jamie, he caused your blindness to begin with." Tina pointed out.

"I know that." Jamie bluntly said to the dinosaur. "But I think that we should just let him off the hook, at least for now."

"…Alright Jamie, if you say so." Tina reluctantly agreed, before she turned her attention to Brian. "I'll take it from here, furball. So you're free to go."

"Tina's right." says Jamie. "I think you deserve a break after what you been through."

"Thanks…I guess." Brian responded, shaking the blind hybrid's hand, before Jamie and Tina walked off, just as the Watterson siblings showed up, showing concern for their friend.

"Brian, are you alright?" asked Gumball.

"I actually feel a bit better now." Brian replied.

"Are you sure about that?" Darwin questioned the purple fox.

"Don't worry, Darwin. My day didn't turn out the way I had envisioned it, but at least it wasn't as awful as I thought." Brian assured the two-legged fish.

"That's good to know." says Anais, before curiosity hit her. "So, what was it like helping Jamie out?"

In response, Brian took a deep breath and explained what had occurred for the last thirty minutes, as he and his friends walked down the hallway, trying to get back to their usual routine.

* * *

The rest of the days went on without any further incidents, as the school bell rang for the last time, before every student rushed out and left school until the next day. Among the students were Tobias and Banana Joe, somewhat disappointed that their day was ruined, thanks to the action of a certain purple fox.

"Well, that didn't turn out the way I expected." Banana Joe commented.

"Don't worry about it." says Tobias. "We still have another opportunity around the corner."

"You really think so?"

"Looking for me, boys?" Jamie asked, prompting the jock and the banana to turn around and see the hybrid standing from a distance. Initially shocked by her presence, both Tobias and Banana Joe quickly smirked, before the former spoke to Jamie.

"Hey Jamie, better watch your steps when you're crossing the street." Tobias mockingly called out to the hybrid.

"She doesn't need to worry about, because she can't see a thing." Banana Joe said, stating the obvious.

As the duo burst into laughter, the hybrid slowly reached for the shades before removing them from her face, revealing her eyes had been restored, along with a serious expression on her face. The moment Tobias and Banana Joe noticed that the hybrid has her vision back; their chuckling slowly dwindled, eventually replaced by awkward silence.

"We were just kidding, that's all." the jock bashfully explained.

"Yeah, we didn't mean any of that." the banana insisted.

Jamie, however, wasn't interested in listening to their excuses, as the hybrid pulled a baseball bat out of nowhere. Realizing her intention, both Tobias and Banana Joe screamed with horror and ran for their lives, while Jamie let out a war cry and proceeded to chase them down, as Brian watched the scene from a distance.

"Some things don't change." Brian jokingly commented, before he gave himself a chuckle.

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 25-The Chipmunk_

_Brian's plan to hang out with Rhonda goes awry when a chipmunk ruthlessly beats him up. He spends the rest of the day desperately trying to prove to everyone of his claim, but obviously no one believes him._

**Tidbits**

**-This chapter proved to be a lot challenging than I though, mainly due to the fact that I haven't see an episode that has Jamie played a major role. Nevertheless, I wanted to get this chapter right as best as I could.**

**-Due to the pacing of this chapter, I was force to cut some scenes and a few lines. It's not what I was hoping, but it didn't turn out too bad as I had thought.**

**Well, I hope everyone enjoyed reading this and I'll see ya next chapter!**


	25. The Chipmunk

**I wanted to thank Sal and wiseguy1107 for helping me out with this chapter.**

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 25- The Chipmunk

It was just another sunny afternoon in the town of Elmore, as Brian happily ran to the park to meet up with Rhonda, the girl of his dream. Every time he's with her, his heart would just melt just by thinking about her. He really hope that Rhonda would eventually see him as more than a friend, but for now, he would just settled with their friendships until the time has come to confess his feelings for her. Right now, though, he needed to meet up with Rhonda as quickly as he could.

'_I really need to meet up with her real quickly.'_ Brian thought, as he ran much faster than usual.

As the purple fox continued to run his way to his destination, a little creature suddenly appeared in front of Brian, prompting him to quickly stop in his tracks, giving the fox a full glimpse of said creature.

The creature in questioned turned out to be a chipmunk, with sky blue fur, shiny bright eyes and a playful demeanor. As much as Brian wanted to meet up with Rhonda right away, he couldn't help but be awestruck by his presence.

"Hey there little guy…" Brian began, before he rubbed his head sheepishly. "Sorry I didn't see you there. Here, let me help you."

As the purple fox leaned closer to the chipmunk, intending to pick him up with his paw, the chipmunk's demeanor abruptly changed, as he gave a menacing look at the startled fox, baring his claws and snarling like a rabid dog.

"What the-" was all Brian said, before the chipmunk suddenly grabbed his finger and proceeded to pound him into the ground repeatedly with ease. When it was done doing this, Brian found himself being lifted up into the air, before being hurled towards a group of rocks at incredible speed. Thankfully, his injuries weren't serious, but Brian's relief was short-lived, as the chipmunk pounced on the unfortunate fox, giving him a few more swipes in the face, before jumping off of him, satisfied with its assault.

As soon as the chipmunk was off of his chest, Brian, frightened by the chipmunk's action, immediately fled from the critter as quickly as he can and for a moment, he thought the insane chipmunk was singing some of sort a song behind his back:

_That fox, that fox, I beat that fox_

_Against the curbs and into those rocks_

_I cannot lie, it was so fun_

_Seeing him go off and run._

* * *

It was just another typical afternoon at the Watterson residence, as Gumball and Darwin were busy playing another round of Kebab Fighters, while Anais was playing with her newly repaired Daisy the Donkey doll, Richard was sleeping on the couch as usual and Nicole was in the kitchen making dinner.

Then, all of a sudden, someone rapidly knocked on the front door, earning the attention of the Wattersons. Curious but cautious, Anais proceeded to the door, before slowly opening it, revealing Rhonda carrying Brian on his side, the latter looking the worse for wear, much to the family's shock.

"Oh my goodness, what happened to Brian?" Nicole asked with concern.

"I don't know, Mrs. Watterson." Rhonda replied, as she and Brian enter the house. "I just saw him this way. All I do know is that he really needs some help right now."

"Don't worry about it, Rhonda. We'll help Brian out right away." Gumball assured the mouse, before him and Darwin carried the injured fox by the arm and put him on the couch to rest.

"Thank you everyone." Rhonda spoke with relief. "Anyway, I need to get some ice for his eye."

As the mouse entered the kitchen to get some ice, Gumball and his family looked at the purple fox, both curious and concern for his well-being. Somehow, Brian received a few bruises on his head, along with a black eye and some bruises all over his body; in addition, his fur and clothes were a complete mess. How he managed to get them was a complete mystery and it was one that they intend to get to the bottom of.

"Brian, are you feeling alright?' asked Darwin.

"As fine as I'll ever be." Brian replied. "The same can't be said for my head."

"That's good to know." says Anais. "Anyway, what happen to you? How did you receive those injuries?"

"You guys wouldn't believe me if I told you." Brian responded.

"Try us Brian. At this point, anything could happen in a place like Elmore." Richard pointed out.

Brian hesitated to tell the Wattersons about his ordeal minutes ago. Even though Richard pointed out the strange and surreal situations that go on in town, there was no way they would believe that a chipmunk was responsible for causing his injuries. Even so, Brian did hope that they could at least listen to his story.

Taking a deep breath, the purple fox eventually decided to tell the whole story to the family.

"It began like this…" Brian began.

* * *

**One minute later…**

"…And that's how I got these."

Once Brian was finished telling his story, the Wattersons looked at Brian with confusion and astonishment. From what they were told, Brian's plan to hang out with Rhonda ended in disaster when a chipmunk suddenly appeared out of nowhere and was apparently responsible for gravely injuring him. Sure, the entire family had seen, heard and experience many weird things in Elmore, but Brian's tale was bizarre even for them.

"So let me get this straight, Brian: are you telling us that you got beaten up by a chipmunk on your way to meet up with Rhonda?" Gumball asked his friend, prompting the injured fox to nod his head in agreement, confirming his story.

For a moment, the Wattersons remained silence, with not one member making a single move. Eventually, the entire family burst into hysterical laughter, while Brian's face blush bright red in embarrassment, dismayed that they didn't believe his unfortunate encounter today.

"That is the funniest thing I have ever heard in my life!" Richard commented, while brushing away a tear from his eye.

"I haven't laughed so hard since…ever!" Nicole cried out, holding down her own laughter.

"I'm telling you guys, what happen to me was no laughing matter." Brian protested. "Believe me, if you guys were there, you would understand what I'm talking about."

"Come on Brian, that story is just too outrageous to be true." says Gumball, as he tried to keep a straight face.

"Just be glad that you didn't embarrass yourself in front of Rhonda." Darwin pointed out.

"Speaking of which, she's coming right now." Anais alerted her family, prompting everyone to stay silent, as the mouse came to the living room with an ice pack, sitting right next to Brian and putting it on his injured eye.

"Sorry it took so long, Brian." Rhonda apologized, before she turned her attention to the Watterson family, arching an eyebrow in curiosity. "Was everyone poking fun of him for being injured?"

"Oh no, Rhonda, we're not laughing at him because of that." Gumball assured the mouse. "We're just laughing at him because he got beaten up by a chipmunk!"

Once the blue feline says those words, he and his entire family burst into more hysterical laughter, while Rhonda looked at Brian, curious by the fox's claim.

"It's a bit complicated to explain Rhonda." Brian sheepishly told the mouse, his face still slightly red in embarrassment.

"That's alright Brian. If you don't feel like talking about it, then don't." says Rhonda.

"Thanks." Brian accepted the mouse's words, relieved that she showed some sympathy over his plight as well as the fact that the incident was entirely isolated

'_I'm just glad that no one else beside Rhonda and the Wattersons knows about it.'_

* * *

The next day at Elmore Junior High didn't turned out the way Brian had hope for, as his fellow classmates were bursting into laughter of the entire chipmunk incident, much to the disbelief of the purple fox, as he and his friends soon found out.

Somehow, William, personal snitch and confidant of Miss Simian, had caught wind of Brian's story of an unfortunate encounter with a savage chipmunk and thought it would be a juicy story to spread all over the school. As a result, everyone not only hear about the incident, but now Brian was the complete laughing stock of Elmore Junior High for telling such a story.

"Great." a dismay Brian muttered under his breath. "I can't believe everyone found out about that incident."

"Don't worry about it, Brian. I'm sure that everyone is just laughing with you." Anais attempted to assure the purple fox.

Just then, Tobias and Banana Joe approached Brian with a smug look on their faces, much to the fox's displeasure.

"Hey Brian, did that mean little chipmunk tried to smother you with his cuteness?" Tobias mockingly asked.

"I bet he went totally nuts on him." Banana Joe commented, before the two burst into laughter.

"Ha-ha, very funny." Brian responded sarcastically, clearly not amused by their jokes.

"Guys, could you just stop with the humor for a second? Brian already had a bad day yesterday." asked Darwin.

Surprisingly, both Tobias and Banana Joe nodded their heads in agreement, despite trying their best to hold back their laughter, before they walked off, while Brian and the Watterson siblings headed towards their lockers. Along the way, the purple fox, noticed that everyone was staring at him, with some poking fun of his so-called tall tale, irking Brian in the process. If they had seen it with their own eyes, they would have understood that it was anything but a joke.

"Cheer up Brian…" Anais began. "These things don't last very long. All you need to do is just take your mind off of that chipmunk story and focus on something very important right now."

"You know, you're right, Anais." Brian agreed with the child prodigy. "I should just focus on my school work and pretend that never happened."

With his mind made up, Brian headed to his locker, intending to get today's materials for Miss Simian's class. But as he unlocked and open his locker, he suddenly saw the same chipmunk from the park inside of his locker, prompting the purple fox to yelp and jump back in fear.

"What's wrong, Brian?" asked Gumball, before he helped the fox up to his feet.

"Guys, that chipmunk from the park is here on school grounds!" Brian shouted, prompting the Watterson siblings to peek inside Brian's locker. Much to their surprise, there was indeed a chipmunk inside of his locker, as the little critter looked at them with his shiny bright eyes, causing the Watterson siblings to be awestuck by his presence.

"Are you telling us that this little guy caused you so much trouble?" Gumball asked the fox, before he allowed the chipmunk to climb on his shoulder.

"I can't believe you would say something like that." Says Darwin, as he stared at the critter's shiny bright eyes.

"Guys, I'm telling you! That thing is an unstoppable killing machine!" Brian fearfully insisted.

"Correction, it's an unstoppable cuddling machine!" Anais proclaimed, still awestruck by the chipmunk's presence.

As his friends continued to stare at the critter like some sort of Holy Grail, the chipmunk menacingly stared at Brian, making it clear that he intended to continue tormenting the fox, prompting him to gulp in response, while his friends were blissfully unaware of the critter's vicious glare.

* * *

The last several hours turned into a complete a nightmare, as Brian sat on the steps in front of the school as the school bell rang to end the school day, visibly horrified by the critter's menacing glare and malicious intent. It didn't help that the savage beast had won the hearts of many in Elmore Junior High, including Miss Simian's.

While Brian was focusing on today's lesson in Miss Simian's class, the chipmunk suddenly appeared in front of him and growled right at him, causing him to jump back from his desk. In art class, when Brian was preparing to paint today's assignment, the critter thought it would be rather funny by splattering some paint on the fox's face, causing to lose composure and make a mess of the classroom. Finally, in the cafeteria, Brian ended up getting blamed for a food fight after the chipmunk threw a chunk of food at Jamie, resulting in him serving an hour of detention.

In all of those incidents, the chipmunk would always feigned an innocence look at the crowd, all the while giving Brian the 'look', making it clear to the fox that it plans to keep torturing him with no end in sight.

'_I can't believe how today is turning out.'_ Brian gloomily thoughts, as he lamented over his situation. _'Not one person believes a single thing about my story. At this rate, I might as well shut myself from the rest of the world.'_

While the purple fox sat on the steps with depression written on his face, a certain mouse showed up on her bike, as she parked right next to the step and turned to face the fox.

"Hey Brian." she said, prompting the depressed purple fox to turned to said voice and see Rhonda near the steps, as she made her way towards her friend.

"Hey Rhonda." Brian greeted back, though the tone in his voice was hardly enthusiastic.

"What's wrong, Brian?" Rhonda asked, as she noticed the depressing tone from the purple fox.

Brian hesitated to answer the mouse's question, worried that the girl he had feelings for might express skepticism over today's unfortunate event. Even so, he did need to get it off his chest and Rhonda might be willing to hear what he had to say.

"Well, Rhonda…" Brian began. "It began this morning, when I arrived at school…"

* * *

**5 minutes later…**

"…And that's how the day ended for me."

Once Brian finished up his story, Rhonda looked at the fox with worried and sympathy. From what her friend had told so far, the same chipmunk that Brian had encounter yesterday was continuing to find numerous ways to torture him one form after another, always ending up getting away with his actions and getting the purple fox into trouble. It might have sounded like a tall tale, but she had a feeling that Brian didn't make up the whole thing.

"I'm sorry that happen to you, Brian." says Rhonda. "But maybe I could help you out."

"You really mean it?" Brian asked the mouse, surprised but happy to hear Rhonda's last statement.

"Of course, Brian…" Rhonda began, smiling back at the fox. "Even though that story might have sounded like a fable, you're not a liar. I'm more than willing to trust you on this, no matter what anyone says."

"Thanks Rhonda." says Brian. "If it's alright with you, I need to talk with Gumball, Darwin and Anais about it."

"Sure Brian, go ahead." Rhonda said to the fox, as Brian went back in the school, hoping to convince the siblings to help him out.

* * *

After talking, pleading and even begging on he knees for about several minutes, Gumball, Darwin and Anais relented and agreed to help Brian and Rhonda out, as the five kids made their way behind some bushes, following the unsuspecting chipmunk to drop his guard, making sure that the critter wasn't aware of their presence.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Brian?" Gumball whispered to the determined fox. "For all we know, he might just do nothing at all."

"I'm serious about this, Gumball." Brian whispered back. "I don't care how long it takes, but that beast will show his true colors sooner or later."

"Sounds like you're just wasting your time then." Darwin deadpanned.

"Guys, I know you have your doubts about this, but at least give Brian a benefit of the doubt." Rhonda insisted.

"Are you sure about that Rhonda?" asked Anais.

"Positive." Rhonda replied. "Look, I know you and your brothers have your doubts, but let's give Brian a chance. After all, he is our friend."

The Watterson siblings looked at one another, uncertain what to think of today's event. They were mostly puzzled as to why Rhonda was willing to trust Brian, even though he didn't brought any physical proof about his claim. Despite the lack of evidence, the mouse was more than willing to trust the fox and if that's the case, then they will do the same thing.

As the siblings made their mind up, the chipmunk suddenly scurried on all four and ran as quickly as he could.

"After him, you guys!" Brian called out, before him and his friends proceeded to follow the critter, hoping he can expose his true nature in front of his friends.

* * *

**2 hours later…**

Brian, Rhonda and the Watterson siblings continue to follow the feisty chipmunk all over town, hoping that he would expose his sinister nature sooner or later. However, much to the purple fox's dismay, the chipmunk only succeeded in putting up a front to more of Elmore's residents.

Their first stop was at the gas station, where a robbery was taking place, as Sal was demanding some money from Larry, while the chipmunk showed up in front of them. As Brian and his friends looked on from a distance, the critter happily squeaked at them, causing them to be awestruck by his presence, enough for the Donut Officer to come by and arrest Sal on the spot.

Their next stop was at the junkyard, forcing the five kids to quietly sneak inside to avoid both Tina and her dad. Hiding from one junk pile after another, Brian, Rhonda and the Watterson siblings spotted the chipmunk facing Mr. Rex face-to-face. As the giant t-rex roared tremendously at the little critter, the chipmunk responded by giving an innocent look, prompting Mr. Rex to uncharacteristically smile in response.

Recently, Brian and his friends tracked down the feisty critter to the Robinson household, prompting the five to hide behind some fences, as the chipmunk was making a mess in the backyard, just as Mr. and Mrs. Robinson arrived to discover the critter's action. Brian watched with excitement, certain that this was it, but his joy was short-lived, as the chipmunk simply squeaked with innocence, causing the older puppets to just smile and pet his head, to the fox's chagrin.

'_I don't believe this!'_ Brian angrily thought. _'No matter where he went, that crazed chipmunk is simply putting up an act!'_

"Brian, are we done here?" asked a bored Gumball, prompting the purple fox to stop thinking and focused his attention towards his friend.

"We're not done yet." Brian replied. "We still have enough time before the day is-"

"Brian, we've been following the little guy for almost two hours." Darwin pointed out, as he cut off the fox's sentence. "From what we have seen, he hasn't done anything violent all day."

"But-"

"But nothing." says Anais. "The only thing that chipmunk has done so far is put a smile on everyone's face, including the Robinsons. Isn't that enough proof that maybe you might have imagine the whole thing yesterday?"

"If you would just-"

"Brian, I know what you're trying to say and we get it." Rhonda spoke out. "Look, I know you've been trying to get proof of what happened yesterday and while I still trust you, the truth is, we have nothing to back up your claim. You did the best as you can."

Brian could do nothing but sulk, dismay that today was not turning out the way he had hoped. As much as he hated to admit, his friends were right; without any physical proof, his story would be nothing more than some tall tale. At this rate, he'll be tormented by that chipmunk for the rest of his life. But then, an idea came to the fox.

"That's it!" Brian declared. "I think I know how to proof my story!"

"You do?" Gumball, Darwin, Anais and Rhonda simultaneously asked.

"Of course I do." answered Brian. "But you guys have to trust me on this."

The Watterson siblings looked at one another, uncertain how to react to Brian's exclamation. They have spent almost the entire afternoon stalking an innocent chipmunk that Brian claimed is outright vicious and they have yet to see the little guy do anything like that.

But what really surprised them was Rhonda's reaction to the purple fox's action. Instead of being uncertain, she was actually smiling in response. That was the last thing they ever expected to see on the mouse's face. Even after they spend two hours tracking down the chipmunk, Rhonda was more than willing to trust Brian's judgment. As much as they wanted to dwell on this, the Watterson siblings decided to give their friend another chance once more.

"Alright Brian, let's hear what you have." Rhonda spoke out.

Brian couldn't help but smile and soon, he told his friends what his idea was about.

* * *

The sun was almost ready to set, as the chipmunk scurried on all four as quickly as he can to the park, unwilling to stick around for possible predators to come by and eat him. But as he made it halfway towards his destination, a certain purple fox suddenly showed up out of nowhere, prompting the surprised critter to stop in his tracks.

"Hey there, little guy." Brian greeted. "Why are you in a sudden hurry?"

The chipmunk could only tilt his head in response, confused by the fox's happy demeanor.

"I know what you're thinking, but I think we got on the wrong foot yesterday. So, I was wondering if we should just let bygones by bygones and just start fresh. What do you say?"

Brian then extended his paw to the chipmunk, suspicious by the fox's generous offer. Why was he so eager to bury the hatchet so soon? Something isn't right, but was ever it was, it wasn't going to work with him.

His mind made up, the chipmunk gave himself a devious smile, before he turned his attention to the unsuspecting fox and extended his own hand to shake Brian's finger.

"I'm so glad we agreed with this." says Brian.

Suddenly, the chipmunk's grip on the fox's finger got stronger, causing Brian to wince in pain, before the savage critter proceeded to pound him on the ground as hard as he could. As Brian tried to regain his composure, the chipmunk grabbed his tail and twirled him around as fast as he can, before throwing towards a couple of trees, bruising him in the process. Finally, the chipmunk grabbed the purple fox by his collar and viciously punched his face with glee and joy.

As the chipmunk continued to pummel the defenseless fox, the critter could hear a click right behind his back. Confused by this, the chipmunk turned around to see the fox's friends staring at him, clearly stunned from what they were witnessing. It didn't help that one of them was holding a cell phone, capturing the moment on the spot.

"Looks like you're busted." Rhonda remarked, still holding the cell phone in her hand.

Stunned by their discovery, the chipmunk quickly attempted to play innocent in front of them once more, but this time, none of them are so easily fooled, as they continued to stare at him with a frown. Realizing that he's been exposed, the little critter nervously chuckled before dashing away.

"Are you alright there, Brian?" Gumball asked with concern, as he and Darwin picked up the injured fox off on his side.

"I've been through worse." Brian replied.

"That's good to know." says Darwin. "Listen, we're so sorry we didn't believe you back there."

"Don't worry about it, Darwin. I'm just glad that I got that chipmunk off my back."

"Brian's right, you guys." Rhonda agreed with the purple fox. "All you have to do is trust his instincts and you three were able to do that."

"But we still feel bad for not listening to you in the first place." says Anais. "If there's anything you want, we'll do it."

"Just one: I want to relax, get an ice pack for my head and play some video games." Brian said to the child prodigy.

"Best plan I ever heard all day." says Rhonda.

"Agreed." Gumball, Darwin and Anais simultaneously responded.

With their minds made up, Brian, Rhonda and the Watterson siblings headed back to the Watterson residence, as the five reflected on today's turn of event. For the purple fox, he was just glad that he was able to prove his story, thanks to Rhonda, who was able to trust him all the way through, something that he won't ever forget.

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 26-The Revenge_

_When Brian accidentally knocked Tobias down, the jock swore revenge on the purple fox._

**Tidbits**

**-This is the first time I did a Rhonda chapter that didn't required two or more parts. It was quite tricky, to be honest, but I was able to pull it off.**

**-Regarding the idea behind this chapter, it was quite random at best, plain and simple.**

**I hope everyone enjoyed reading this and I'll see ya next chapter!**


	26. The Revenge

**I wanted to thank wiseguy1107 and Supergogeta14 for their suggestions in this chapter**

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 26-The Revenge

It was just another typical day at the school cafeteria and as usual, Gumball, Darwin and Brian were sitting at their usual spot, eating today's menu and brainstorming some things they can do this afternoon.

"So Gumball…" Brian began. "Any idea on what we should do after school?"

"I've got nothing so far." Gumball replied. "The latest video game isn't out yet and Darwin and I couldn't find any interesting comic books to read at the moment."

"Don't worry about it, Gumball. We can deal with our after school plans this afternoon." says Darwin. "For now, let's just enjoy ourselves."

"Good idea, Darwin." Brian agreed with the two-legged fish. "But first, I'll go get some napkins."

With that, the purple fox got out of his seat and headed off to the lunch counter. But the moment he made his first move, Brian accidentally stepped on a discard cupcake and ended up sliding off in a completely different direction, sending him far away from the cafeteria and out into the hallway, all the while narrowing avoiding every student and teacher along the way.

'_Oh man! This is not cool!'_ Brian thought, as he attempted to stop himself from continuing this surprising turn of event. As he pondered about this, a discarded sneaker unexpectedly showed up in his path, causing the purple fox to trip, just as Tobias was coming around the corner.

"Tobias, look out!" Brian called out.

Surprised by this, the jock turned around and saw Brian heading straight right at him. But before Tobias could react, one of Brian's arms made contact with his face, sending the jock all the way down to the hallway at high speed, before slamming hard onto the wall. Once the dust had settled down, both students and teachers alike stopped what they were doing and saw the unconscious jock lying on the floor, just as Brian got up and regained his composure.

'_Oh no!'_ Brian thought. _'I need to see if Tobias is alright.'_

Before the purple fox had a chance to come to the jock's side, Brian suddenly felt a hard grip on his shoulder, prompting him to turn to see Miss Simian staring at him with a sneer on her face.

"And just where do you think you're going?" asked Miss Simian.

"Um, I'm about to check up on Tobias." Brian answered honestly.

"Sure you are." Miss Simian said in a sarcastic tone. "If you don't mind, it's off to the principal's office."

Brian tried to voice his objection, but the stern expression on the cantankerous ape's face was enough to silent the purple fox, as he is soon escorted to Principal Brown's office.

* * *

The afternoon went by pretty fast at Elmore Junior High without any further incident. As the school bell rang for the final time, as every student left the premise, with Gumball, Darwin and Brian coming out last, though the day proved to be anything but good for the purple fox.

After Brian explained to Principal Brown on what had occurred, the furry slug took pity on the purple fox, but still gave him an hour of detention, regardless of the circumstances, much to his dismay. Even so, Brian was just glad to serve his time in detention and both he and his friends decided to come by to his house for a change, mainly just so the purple fox could forget about the entire ordeal.

"I can't believe I have detention." Brian said in disbelief. "I took full responsibility and told him what had occurred today and I still got into trouble."

"So today didn't turned out the way you wanted." says Gumball. "Just be glad that he didn't give you three hours of detention."

"Just take your mind off of what happened and just focus on hanging out with us as always." Darwin said to his friend.

"You're right Darwin" Brian agreed with the two-legged fish. "I should just forget about my worries."

As Brian and the Watterson brothers continued to talk with one another, the trio eventually made their way at the O'Quinn residence, as the boys spotted Gordon washing his car on the driveway.

"Hey dad." Brian greeted his father.

"Hey Mr. O'Quinn." Gumball and Darwin greeted Gordon.

"Hi boys, how was your day?" Gordon asked, before he noticed a look of displeasure on his son's face. "Brian, what's wrong?"

Before the purple fox could say anything, Darwin cut him off almost right away.

"Brian's down because he punched Tobias in the face today."

"You did what?!" Gordon asked his son, clearly aghast what he just heard right now.

"Dad, it wasn't on purpose." Brian replied. "I just slipped on a cupcake, tripped over a sneaker and I just ended up knocking him down by accident. I even try to check up on him, but I got sent to the principal's office and got detention instead."

"Now that makes sense then." Gordon stated, somewhat relieved that his son was being honest with him. "Even so, you need to be very careful next time."

"Don't worry about it, dad. I'll be careful next time." Brian assured his father.

"That's all I wanted to hear." says the grey wolf. "Now that everything is settled, why don't you and your friends just get inside and relax for a bit?"

Nodding their heads in agreement, both Brian and the Watterson brothers went into the O'Quinn residence. While Gumball and Darwin went to the living room to watch some TV, Brian was about to head to the kitchen when his cell phone suddenly rang, to the purple fox's curiosity.

"Who could be calling me at a time like this?" Brian asked himself, before he pulled his cell phone from his hoodie and answered it.

"Hello?"

"How dare you pulled such a move on me!" the voice shouted back. It didn't take Brian too long to realize who he was talking to.

"Tobias, is that you?" the purple fox asked, much to his surprise.

"Don't try to act so innocent! You just made a complete fool out of me! Mark my words; I'll get even with you one way or another!"

"Tobias, what I did back there was-"

Before Brian could explain to the jock his side of the story, he found himself cut off, as Tobias suddenly hung up on him. The purple fox pondered for a moment, as he considered talking to the peeved jock once more. Eventually, Brian decided against this, feeling that Tobias just need to cool his head down and have some space for the moment.

* * *

The next day at Elmore Junior High, Brian explained to Gumball and Darwin of his brief conversation with Tobias on the phone yesterday and when he was finished with his story, both brothers were understandably surprised to hear this.

"Didn't you try to explain to Tobias that it was all an accident?" asked Gumball.

"I did, but he just hung up on me before I have the chance." Brian replied.

"Don't worry too much about it…" Darwin began. "I'm sure Tobias had calmed down by now and you should give him a proper apology for yesterday's fiasco."

"I just hope that he sticks around and here what I have to say." says Brian.

"Say what exactly?"

Both Brian and the Watterson brothers yelped and turned around to see Tobias, along with Banana Joe, standing right behind them. Though somewhat relieved to see the jock, Brian also felt rather nervous upon facing him face-to-face.

"Oh Tobias…it's nice to see to you're in a good mood today." Brian greeted nervously jock. "Listen, about what happen yesterday-"

"Don't worry about it, Brian." says Tobias, cutting the purple fox off. "What's done is done and it's time to move on."

Brian, as well as Gumball and Darwin, was stunned to hear the jock being so calm today. The fact that he had already forgiven the fox so easily was quite amazing, despite the fact that it was never on purpose to begin with. Even so, Brian felt relieved that the jock was willing to at least willing to let go of his grudges.

"Alright then, Tobias…" Brian began. "I'm glad that everything's cool between us. Anyway, I have to get going now. See in you class."

With that said, Brian and his friends went off to get their stuff from their lockers. As the trio disappeared from around the corner, the calmness that was on Tobias' face suddenly changed to outright anger, an expression that Banana Joe noticed right away.

"Dude, what's wrong?" Banana Joe asked with concern.

"Didn't you see what happened right now?! Brian thinks he's so high and mighty and acting all cool."

"Tobias, I think you're just exaggerating the whole thing." says Banana Joe. "Besides, I thought you forgave Brian for what he did yesterday."

"Only so he won't keep his guard up." the jock insisted. "It's the perfect opportunity to exact my own revenge and show that fox a thing or two for punching me in the face."

As Tobias smiled deviously, rubbing his hands as he ran through his minds the kinds of plans he had in store for Brian, Banana Joe just shook his head and sighed with exasperation. If he knew Tobias as well as he did, his best buddy would only end up embarrassing himself and at the very least, he needed to try to get him grounded to reality before he makes his day much worse.

* * *

The day at Miss Simian's class went off like any other day: the elderly baboon would always come up with any excuse to hand out any surprise pop quiz and today was no exception. As expected, her students moaned in dismay at this, a reaction that Miss Simian enjoyed so much, before she handed out their quizzes. As always, every student, including Brian, struggled to find the correct answer for each question.

'_Geez Louise! I don't recall seeing these questions before!'_

While Brian panicked and tried to think of the right answer for some of the questions, unbeknownst to him, a certain jock eyed on the fox right next to him, hoping that he wasn't paying any attention to his scheme. After a minute or so, Tobias decided it was the right time to make his move.

"Hey Brian…" Tobias whispered in his ear. "I'm looking at your test and I'm going to copy every answer you make. I'm sure hope you don't try to stop me."

Tobias wasn't really copying Brian's answer, but he hope that it was enough to get the fox's attention, as he pretended to jot down the answers to each question. As he was doing this, Banana Joe whispered at the jock to get his attention.

"Tobias, I don't think that was such a good idea."

"What makes you say that?" Tobias whispered back, before he felt some heavy breathing behind his back. With some reluctance on his part, the jock turned and saw Miss Simian right in front of him, displeased to see that one of her students was 'cheating' to begin with.

"Wait, it's not what it looks like." a nervous Tobias attempted to explain.

* * *

PE had just begun at the school gym and as expected, every student was getting active for the day, but for Tobias, his day was turning out not as well as he had hoped for.

After Miss Simian caught the jock 'cheating' on today's surprised pop quiz, Tobias was forced to retake the entire quiz this afternoon. Despite the setback, Tobias remained undaunted by his revenge scheme for today, much to the displeasure of Banana Joe.

"Tobias, are you sure about this?" the banana asked his friend. "I mean, your first attempt did get you an F on the pop quiz."

"Don't worry about it, Joe. There's no way I'm going to mess this one up." Tobias adamantly insisted. Banana Joe, on the other hand, had his doubt, arching an eyebrow in curiosity.

"What makes you so sure it'll work this time?"

"That's easy…" Tobias explained. "When Brian goes up to climb the ropes, I'll put some oil grease right underneath it. As soon as he steps on it, he'll slide right towards the ladder and he'll get cover in paint in a few seconds."

"That's it?" Banana Joe asked incredulously. "That's how you'll get your revenge on Brian?"

Before Tobias could offer an explanation, he noticed the purple fox is starting to climb up on the rope, prompting the jock to shush his friend for the moment, before he quietly snuck among the crowd, making his way towards his destination, before he pulled an oil can out of nowhere and began creating a puddle underneath Brian's position.

The purple fox, meanwhile, was struggling to make his way to the top, even though his arms were starting to feel numb. Even so, Brian struggled his way to the top as best as he can, but he was only able to reach midway up to the rope, his arms starting to feel weak at this point.

'_It's not much, but at least this was an improvement on my last attempt.'_ Brian thought, before he climbed his way down to the gym floor.

But as soon as his foot made contact to the floor, Brian found himself skidding on the floor once again, this time heading towards a ladder with a paint container on top of it. Despite his attempt to slow down, the purple fox hit the ladder, sending the paint container towards Tobias, landing squarely on his head, wedging it in the process.

'_What just happened?'_ Brian thought in confusion, before he could hear laughter behind his back, prompting the purple fox to see a large crowd gawking at Tobias, as he wailed all over the gym, while his best friend tried to pry the paint container off of the jock's head.

* * *

The afternoon had finally arrived, just in time for all the students to gather in the cafeteria for lunch before the next bell rang. As always, Brian sat at his usual spot with Gumball and Darwin, somewhat a bit weary how his day was turning out so far.

"So how is today turning out for you?" Darwin asked the purple fox.

"Not as good as I had hoped, but not bad at the same time." Brian replied.

"Don't worry about it, Brian. Your day will get better." assured Gumball.

While the trio continued to discuss with one another, just a few tables away, Tobias continued to spy on Brian with determination, while Banana Joe was eating his meal, somewhat annoyed that the jock is still obsessed with getting even with the purple fox.

"Tobias, I think you should just forget it about and move on." says Banana Joe. "Every time you come up with your so-called revenge scheme, you end up humiliating yourself."

"Don't worry about it…" Tobias began. "This time, my plan is full-proof and there's no way it won't fail."

"What do you mean by that?" the banana questioned his friend.

"I'm glad you asked." Tobias responded, before he pulled what appears to be a burrito out of nowhere to Banana Joe, much to the banana's surprise.

"Are you serious?!" Banana Joe questioned the jock. At this point, he began to question his friend's sanity.

"I am dead serious about this." Tobias insisted. "In fact, I'm just going to add in a few more extra ingredients to it."

Before Banana Joe knew what happened, the jock began to add in various spicy materials to the burrito, from chili peppers, chipotle, jalapeno and even Tabasco sauce. After this was done, Tobias added what appears to be a hot sauce made out of pure scorpion pepper for the final touch. Banana Joe took one sniff of the sauce and the banana quickly gagged and covered his nose in response; it was clear that this sauce is quite intense and it didn't take him too long to realize what his friend's intentions were.

"Tobias, this is crazy!" the banana objected. "Now you're just becoming obsessed with the whole revenge scheme!"

"Don't be so overdramatic Joe!" Tobias dismissed his friend's objection. "This time, I just know it'll work out."

Banana Joe was about say something to the jock, only to find him getting up from his seat and making his way towards to the table where Gumball, Darwin and Brian were sitting. Unwilling to stick around and find out, the banana immediately went to the trio's table, both out of concern for Brian's safety and to get Tobias to change his mind.

"Tobias, reconsider what you're about to-"

But the jock, however, put his mouth over the banana's mouth, as Tobias began to have a conversation with Brian.

"So, you're looking fine today…" Tobias began. "By the way Brian, what's that you're having?"

"Um…lunch." Brian answered the jock's question, not sure what else to say.

"Don't eat the garbage. In fact, I got something much better."

Before Brian and the Watterson brothers knew what happened, Tobias grabbed Brian's tray and quickly threw it, along with the food, to the trash and immediately showed the purple fox a tasty-looking burrito, much to his own surprise.

"Is that for me?" Brian questioned the jock.

"Of course it is. After all, this is just to show you I have no hard feelings about yesterday's incident." Tobias insisted.

Brian was quite puzzled by the jock's offer. He wasn't so sure what to make of this and as much as he wanted to turn it down, the fox's stomach suddenly growled, making it clear it wasn't satisfied by what he already ate. With that in mind, Brian faced Tobias with his answer.

"Alright Tobias, I am kind of hungry."

Ecstatic to hear the fox's answer, Tobias allowed Brian to take the burrito from his hand, all the while imagining the look on his face the moment he took a bite out of the spicy meal itself. There was no way that this revenge scheme will fail horribly this time around.

'_Here it comes!'_ Tobias happily thought.

But when Brian took the first bite from the burrito, the jock's joy suddenly faded, replaced by astonishment and curiosity. Likewise, Banana Joe was also surprised by this as well. For the strangest reason, the purple fox didn't cringe by the slightest with each bite from the burrito; in fact, he was enjoying himself.

"Thanks for the burrito, Tobias." Brian thanked the stunned jock, before he took another bite from his meal.

Dumbfounded to see Brian enjoying the meal, Tobias, suspicious by this, grabbed the burrito right off of Brian's paw and decided to take a bite of his own. Initially, Tobias didn't felt anything from that one bite, but the jock suddenly felt extreme heat coming from inside his mouth and sure enough, fire spewed out of Tobias' mouth, causing him to panic all over the cafeteria, much to the shock of the four boys.

"Here, drink this Tobias." says Brian, as he quickly handed over what he thought was a water bottle, as the jock quickly took it and drank it. Unfortunately, the bottle turned out to be one filled with chili sauce, which only intensified the heat in Tobias' mouth, causing him more pain, before he quickly fled to the hallway, leaving only Brian, his friends and Banana Joe in the cafeteria.

"Oh man." Brian muttered. "I accidentally gave him the wrong bottle. I really need to apologize to him about it."

"Don't worry about that…" Banana Joe began. "I'll search for him and inform him what happened."

With that, the banana headed straight to the hallway, hoping he could find the jock and make sure he was alright. Gumball and Darwin, meanwhile, looked Brian with curiosity and astonishment, much to the purple fox's confusion.

"What?" Brian asked his friends.

"How were you able to handle something that intense?" asked Gumball.

"Yeah, I mean you just ate that burrito like it was nothing." Darwin noted.

"Oh, that's simple…" Brian began. "My mom cooks spicy food a lot. I've been eating them so much that my taste buds just got use to the heat."

As soon as Brian gave his answer to his friends, they continued to look at him, more astonished that the purple fox was able to tolerate any meal that was hot and spicy.

* * *

The next three hours of school went by without any further incidents, as the school bell rang for the last time, before every student left the premise until the next day. But for a certain jock and a reluctant banana, this was one final attempt to get even with one purple fox, as he spied on his intended victim from the roof.

Tobias was starting to become unhinged by his plans. No matter how much he thought out of it, they ended up putting him in harm's way, including the spicy burrito plan. He could still feel the stinging sensation in his mouth, but at this point, he didn't care about it anymore. All he wanted was to get payback at Brian for making a fool out of him.

As the jock was still fuming over the fiasco back at the cafeteria, Banana Joe, becoming rather bored, finally decided to break the silence by asking his friend about their situation.

"Tobias, care to explain what are we doing up on the roof?" asked the banana, prompting the jock to stop what he was doing and turned his attention to his friend.

"That's easy…" Tobias started to explain. "I'm going to give that fox boy one powerful wedgie he'll never forget. Before you ask, I'm going to do so with this."

The jock then pulled a fishing rod out from behind his back, much to his friend's surprise. However, Banana Joe quickly became unimpressed by this discovery.

"Are you serious, Tobias?" asked Banana Joe. "You're going to give Brian a wedgie with a fishing rod?"

"Of course I'm serious! I thought you would be impressed by this!" Tobias exclaimed, annoyed by the banana's reaction.

"I haven't been impressed by anything you come up with all day!" Banana Joe responded. "I only stuck by with you so I could convince you to let go of this nonsense and just accept Brian's apology."

"Not after what he did yesterday. Tell me one good reason why I should-"

Before Tobias could say anything else, both he and Banana Joe heard one of the school doors opening, revealing Gumball, Darwin and Brian coming out of the school. The jock eyed on the purple fox with serious intent; As long as he had him on sight, he could finally achieve his revenge at last.

"Watch and learn, Banana Joe." says Tobias, as he focused on Brian, all the while preparing his arm for the swing. Once he made sure that the purple fox was right on target, he swung his arm, as he thrust the fish hook, certain that it would snag on Brian's boxer shorts.

Unfortunately for the determined jock, the fish hook missed its target by a long shot, as it ended up snagging on a passing truck and before Tobias could react, the fishing rod immediately dragged the unfortunate boy with him, as Banana Joe watched in horror.

"Tobias!" Banana Joe called out.

But the jock was too far for the banana to do anything, as Tobias soon found himself being flown around like a kite, screaming for dear life and clinging on to the fishing rod as best as he could, all the while avoiding a group of ducks, planes and kites along the way from every twist and turns. In doing so, he ended up getting hit by a couple of branches and leaves in the process.

'_I can't believe this is happening to me!'_ Tobias fearfully thought. _'If this keeps up, I'm going to crash into something!'_

Tobias then turned his attention right in front of him and to his disbelief, he noticed that not only had he veered off course, he noticed one of the building walls zooming closer towards his face.

"This isn't going to end well." Tobias muttered, before he closed his eyes and embraced for the impact.

* * *

For a moment, it appeared that he finally made it to the other side, as Tobias saw nothing but darkness. Slowly, the jock opened his eyes, though his vision remained rather blurry. Eventually, his eyesight managed to clear up and Tobias soon realized that to his amazement, he was alive and well in one of the town's local hospital, albeit heavily bandaged everywhere except for his face.

"Where am I?" Tobias uttered, before one band-aid doctor came by to see his patient.

"Hello there, it's good to see you're awake." the band-aid doctor happily said.

"What happened?" asked a confused Tobias.

"That's simple…" the band-aid doctor began. "After you suffered some serious injury from crashing through the wall, your friends called 911 and got you to the hospital on time. It was a miracle that you managed to survive such a crash at all."

"I'm just surprised myself." Tobias agreed with the doctor. "Wait a minute, what exactly do you mean by friends?"

Before the doctor could say anything else, Tobias spotted Gumball, Darwin, Brian and Banana Joe stopping by to see him, clearly worried for his well-being and hoping that the injured jock was at least alright.

"Hey Tobias." Brian greeted the injured jock. "I'm glad to see you're alright. Banana Joe told me everything that had happened."

"As soon as he did, me, Darwin, Brian and Banana Joe immediately followed you as fast as we could." added Gumball.

"By the time we arrived, you were a complete mess." says Darwin, picking off where his older brother left off.

"So Brian decided to call 911, hoping they would come to the nick of time." Banana Joe informed Tobias.

As soon as the boys finished their story, the injured jock couldn't believe what he had heard. Even after what he had set out to do, Brian, his intended victim of revenge, was responsible for getting him to the hospital on time. At this point, it was then that the jock had a sudden epiphany: his revenge schemes had done nothing except putting him in harm's way and he realized just how pointless it was to begin with.

Feeling ashamed for his actions, the injured jock turned to face Brian, deciding to do the right thing for a change.

"Brian, I'm sorry for trying to exact revenge on you. I guess I just overreacted by what happened yesterday at the hallway."

"That makes a lot of sense." Brian commented. "If it'll make you feel better, apology accepted."

The jock smiled in response, touched that the purple fox had accepted his apology, even though he was trying to make him his primary target to begin with.

"Anyway, we have to get going now. I'm sure your family will be stopping by to check up on you."

As soon as the purple fox mentioned his family, Tobias' face quickly froze with fear. He couldn't believe that he had forgotten about them in the first place. It was the last thing he ever thought of and now he's going to have a lot of explaining to do when his family shows up at the hospital.

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 27-The Mind_

_Brian reluctantly volunteers to test Bobert's latest project: the ability to read people's mind. But the project backfires on the purple fox and as a result, everyone began reading Brian's mind instead._

**Tidbits**

**-First time I did a chapter featuring Tobias (along with Banana Joe). It was quite tricky than I thought it would be.**

**-Believe it or not, the scorpion pepper is currently the hottest chili pepper in the world, more so than the ghost chili pepper.**

**-I wanted to thank wiseguy1107 and Supergogeta14 once again for helping me out with this chapter.**

**I hope everyone enjoyed reading "The Revenge" and I'll see ya next chapter.**


	27. The Mind

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 27-The Mind

Normally for Brian, he would have been heading back home or hanging out with Gumball and Darwin after school. But today, the purple fox found himself in the science classroom after Bobert convinced him to try out a new project that he was working on. Even though Brian wasn't interested, the young robot was rather desperate and in need of some help. With great reluctance on his part, the purple fox complied and accompanied Bobert to the classroom. Speaking of which…

'_Where is that robot to begin with?'_ Brian thought. _'I really need to get back home before my parents finds out.'_

On cue, the door to the science classroom swung open, much to the surprise of the purple fox, as Bobert made his way inside, with both of his arms hiding something behind his back.

"Sorry for the long wait, Brian." Bobert apologized to the purple fox. "But I have to make sure that my latest project would work out according to my calculations."

"Speaking of which, what kind of project are you working on?" Brian questioned the robot.

"Allow me to show you." said Bobert, as he revealed what appeared to be a makeshift helmet of sorts to the curious purple fox, with a blue light bulb on top of it and a pressure gauge at the center. Brian, however, was far from happy; in fact, he was both dumbfounded and annoyed by the robot's "project".

"That's it?" asked an unimpressed Brian. "Your latest project is a helmet?"

"It's not the helmet that makes it so unique, it's what the helmet is capable of." asserted Bobert. "This helmet is capable of granting any person the ability to read minds. Exactly for how long, I don't know, but that is why I brought you here in the first place."

Brian continued to look at the robot with a look of doubt, uncertain what to make of it. As a robot, Bobert wasn't able to make any kind of expressions, but his tone suggested that he was quite serious about it. Despite the purple fox's skepticism, he decided to at least help him out.

"I don't know if it's going to work or not…" Brian began. "But if it'll make you happy, then let's do this."

Brian's response left the robot ecstatic, as he quickly went to the fox's aide and strap the helmet on his head and secured it tightly, making sure that it doesn't cause any harm to Brian when he activated it.

"Alright Brian, it's all set." Bobert informed the purple fox. "Now, are you sure you wanted to go through with this?"

"As long as it's safe, then yes, so go right ahead." Brian replied.

Despite some hesitation on his part, Bobert complied with the fox, as he pulled out a remote control from his back and proceeded to press the red button right away. Expecting for something to occur right away, Brian was surprised that the helmet didn't create any reaction.

"That's strange…" Brian commented. "I thought this helmet was suppose to-"

Without warning, the purple fox suddenly felt a surge of electricity all over his body, as the helmet had suddenly became active, the blue light bulb flickering like mad and the pressure gauge was increasing with each passing seconds. After what felt like an eternity, the helmet suddenly ceased functioning, as Bobert removed it from Brian's head, before looking at the fox with concern.

"Brian, are you alright? Is there anything you wanted to say?"

"Ouch." Brian muttered, before he collapsed to the floor unconscious, much to Bobert's surprise. The robot looked at the unconscious fox for a moment, until he realized there was only one solution to this.

"Maybe I should let the nurse know what happen." Bobert commented, before he quietly leaves the science classroom and made his way to the nurse's office.

* * *

The next day, Brian made his way to the Watterson residence, deciding that he would take the school bus for a change. The purple fox still had a big headache, no thanks to Bobert's project. He was just glad that both his parents weren't that upset when he arrived home, though he had to explain to them for at least several hours.

'_I can't believe I agreed to help that crazy robot out.'_ Brian thought with displeasure. _'From now on, I'm just going to ignore him the next time I see him.'_

As Brian was in his own thoughts, Gumball, along with Darwin and Anais, came out from their house and made their way to greet the purple fox.

"Hey Brian." Gumball, Darwin and Anais greeted.

"Hey there guys." Brian greeted back.

"So Brian…" Darwin began. "What happened yesterday with you and Bobert?"

"It was nothing." Brian replied, decided that it was best that none of his friends knew what happened yesterday.

'_All I wanted to do is just go through today like any other day.'_

"I couldn't agree more." says Gumball, prompting Brian to turn around and face the blue feline with a surprise look on his face.

"I didn't say anything, Gumball."

"What are you talking about, Brian? Of course you did." Gumball insisted, confused by the fox's response.

"I heard it too." Anais spoke out, leaving Brian stunned by this. "I don't see why you're denying it so suddenly."

"Same here." says Darwin. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Before Brian could say anything else, the school bus finally arrived and the purple fox thought it would be better to discuss with them on the way to school. As the four made their way to the bus, trying to find a spot to sit down, all Brian could do was think of what had happened seconds ago.

'_That was really weird…'_ Brian thought. _'Why did they react like that? I haven't said a single-'_

Brian's thoughts were suddenly cut off, as a certain t-rex spoke out of nowhere.

"Hello furball." Tina greeted Brian sarcastically. "Looking forward to another day of extortion?"

'_Ha-ha! That was very funny, lizard breath!'_ Brian thought, clearly unimpressed. What happened next, however, took the purple fox by surprise.

"How dare you to talk to me like that!" Tina snarled, prompting Brian to quickly walk away, leaving him rather confused by the t-rex's response.

'_First Gumball and his siblings, not Tina's behaving like this? What is going on around here?'_

As Brian tried to figure out why his friends and Tina reacted like that, all the while trying to find somewhere to sit down, the purple fox was suddenly distracted by some of his classmates' behaviors, irking him in the process.

'_Aw gross! Chew with your mouth close, Sussie!'_

'_Tobias, do everyone a favor and actually exercise for a change!'_

'_Try to get some new materials for your jokes, Banana Joe!'_

'_Relax for once, Teri!'_

One by one, Brian's thoughts were filled with one wave of brutal honesty after another, until the purple fox finally made his way to an empty seat. But as soon as he sat down, Brian noticed that most, if not all, of his classmates were glaring at the purple fox, clearly infuriated what he was just thinking about them. All Brian could do was chuckle nervously; clearly uncomfortable by the attention he is receiving right now. It didn't take him too long to realize what had occurred.

'_Oh man! It looks like Bobert's project did work after all! Only now they're reading my mind instead! I need to talk to him about this!'_

But for now, he just wanted to get to school and pretend this never happened at all.

* * *

It was another typical day at Miss Simian's class in Elmore Junior High and for Brian, he was actually glad to be here for once. His fellow classmates were still peeved by his comments he made on the bus earlier, so the purple fox decided not to say or do anything that would make the situation ever worse. Right now, all Brian could is just focus on today's lesson and talk to Bobert about his situation, hopefully the robot would fix it right away.

"Alright Brian, you can do this." the purple fox muttered to himself. "I'll just go through my routine as usual and meet up with Bobert during lunch. It'll be a piece of cake."

"Alright class, listen up…" Miss Simian began, prompting Brian to focus his attention to the teacher. "Today, we will be learning about the history of Thomas Edison."

'_I better get ready for this.'_ Brian thought, as pulled out a pencil and a piece of paper.

"Thomas Edison was responsible for inventing at least 1,093 patents under his name." Miss Simian explained. "His inventions were responsible for influencing telecommunications of today…"

'…_Telecommunications of today…'_

Miss Simian stopped what she was doing, as her students started to snicker in response. The elderly baboon was puzzled by the random outburst in her classroom, but shrugged it off and resumed her lesson.

"As I was saying, his inventions included the motion picture camera, phonograph, stock ticker and most famous of all, the light bulb."

'…_the light bulb…'_

Miss Simian stopped with her lecture once more, as her students snickered due to that sudden outburst. The cantankerous baboon was a bit annoyed by this. Who keeps interrupting her to begin with? Regardless, she was starting to loose her patience, but decided to restrain it for the moment and focus on today's lesson.

"Due to the success of his inventions, Thomas Edison became known as "The Wizard of Menlo Park…"

As Miss Simian continued on her lecture, Brian continued to write down the notes about Thomas Edison and at the same time, unknowingly copying everything the elderly baboon said with his thoughts, from his first demonstration right down to forming the first power station in New York. Right now, the purple fox was writing down the "War of Currents" on his paper.

'…_Thomas Edison made sure that George Westinghouse didn't succeed with his goal of allowing alternating currents to be used for everyday life.'_

As Brian continued to write down, what happened next turned out to be quite unfortunate for the purple fox.

"As soon as Brian O'Quinn stops copying me, he'll be paying a visit to Mr. Small's office this afternoon."

'_As soon as I stopped copying Miss Simian, I'll be…paying…a…visit…'_

Brian's thoughts trailed off, with bewilderment on his face, before he looked up and saw a disgruntled Miss Simian staring right down at him, displeased that the fox had kept interrupting her speech.

* * *

Brian couldn't believe how his day was turning out; first, his classmates had every single thought about them and now, he has to go to Mr. Small's office after lunch. The purple fox had no doubt that he'll be in hot water should the counselor hear his thoughts and that was the last thing he wanted to happen.

'_Oh man, this is really not cool at all. What do I do now?'_ Brian thought, as Rocky served him today's menu, before making his way to his usual spot with Gumball and Darwin. _'I need to come up with a good idea before Mr. Small hears my thoughts.'_

"Hey Brian." Gumball and Darwin greeted, prompting the purple fox to focus his attention to his friends for the moment.

"Hey guys." Brian gloomily greeted back.

"Are you still down because of what happened in Miss Simian's class?" Darwin asked.

"That's what you get for trying to copy her every single word." Gumball pointed out.

"The thing is, it wasn't on purpose…" Brian started to explain. "Ever since I volunteer to help Bobert out with his project yesterday, everyone has been reading my mind instead of the other way."

"Wait a minute…" Darwin began, arching an eyebrow in curiosity. "I thought you said it was nothing."

"It was until this morning when I got on the bus. At that time, I didn't think that it was going to work like it did." Brian said defensively.

"That makes sense now." says Gumball. "Have you tried to think of something else?"

Brian glared back at the blue feline in response, before Gumball quickly realized his poor choice of words.

"Oh, that's right. Sorry about that." Gumball sheepishly apologized.

Just then, a certain young robot passed by their table, prompting Brian to confront him the moment he showed up.

"There you are, Bobert!" the purple fox exclaimed. "Thank goodness I finally bumped into you. I really need your help!"

"What seems to be the trouble, Brian?" asked the robot, prompting Brian to take a deep breath, before he started to explain how his project ended up working too well, causing everyone to read his mind instead of the other way around. As soon as the purple fox finished his story, Bobert took a moment to ponder about this. Eventually, the robot turned his attention to Brian, as if he had found the answer.

"Tell you what, I'll try to locate the helmet and reprogram it to fix the problem. In the meantime, try to keep Mr. Small busy before he could read your mind."

"Thank you so much, Bobert." Brian said to the robot, relieved that his problem will be over soon. Right now, though, he needed to get to Mr. Small's office and made sure that things didn't get any worse.

* * *

Brian sat on his chair near Mr. Small's office, waiting patiently for the hippie to show up at any given moment. Earlier in the cafeteria, Bobert insisted that the only way to prevent the hippie from reading his mind was to keep talking with him, while the robot reprogrammed the helmet to remove the fox's mind-reading ability. Brian just hopes that he could meet up with Bobert when this is over.

'_Where is Mr. Small to begin with? I need to get this done and over with.'_

On cue, the door to Mr. Small's office opened, as the hippie poked his head to see Brian, beckoning him to come in right away.

"Brian, I'm so glad you dropped by this afternoon." says Mr. Small. "Now, before we get started-"

"Don't mind if I do, Mr. Small." Brian suddenly spoke, cutting off the hippie's sentence, as he made his way inside. "Let me just say I apologize for everything I did this morning."

"Go on." Mr. Small said to the fox.

"You see…" Brian began. "Being a kid, especially at this age, can really feel the pressure building up from within, especially when you have to get up so early and try to keep your mind focus on the task ahead."

"Please continue." Mr. Small insisted.

"I guess I was so worked up by what's been happening around me that I inadvertently let out all of my pent-up rage from my mouth and I accidentally upset so many people in the process. Believe me, I feel really bad for what I did back there."

"Is there anything else you wanted to add?" asked Mr. Small.

"Well…" Brian began.

* * *

**30 minutes later…**

Brian continued on with his "explanation" to Mr. Small, prolonging the session with the hippie as best as he can. Some were about his problems with Miss Simian's outrageous actions and other times, it was some random moments that he had done on a few occasions.

For his part, Mr. Small continued to listen on, jotting down what was told about him. The hippie didn't know what to make of this and it seemed a bit off with the purple fox's action. At the same time, Brian was quite open and gave some intriguing info that Mr. Small thought was interesting enough to write down, including his recent ones right now.

"…So you see, Mr. Small…" Brian began to talk. "That's what I have to deal with every single day of my life."

As soon as the purple fox said those last words, Brian felt exhausted from going non-stop with his talks, while Mr. Small put his notepad and pencil on the desk, somewhat astonished that the purple fox was able to tell him all of this for half an hour.

"I have to say, those were some interesting things you have told me just now." Mr. Small admitted. "But in any case, I think it's safe to say that this session had reached its conclusion."

"You really mean it?" asked Brian.

"Sure. I don't see any problems aside from having a bad day." the hippie replied. "Anyway, you're free to go now."

"Thank you so much, Mr. Small." Brian thanked the hippie, as he got up from his seat and made his way to the door, before Mr. Small began to talk once more.

"Oh, one more thing…" the hippie began. "Try to think positive next time."

"I will." Brian stated, before something unexpected happened next.

'_IDIOT!'_

Brian's face turned from joy to horror, as he had let his guard down, allowing Mr. Small to unfortunately hear his thoughts, leaving the purple fox to become worried of the next course of action the hippie would take next.

* * *

Brian couldn't believe what happened just now; just when he thought he was in the clear, in his moment of victory, he allowed his thoughts to be heard out loud for Mr. Small to hear what he have to say and as a result, he will be sent to Principal Brown's office. If the furry slug heard his latest thought, he has no doubt that he'll be facing expulsion.

'_Where in the world if Bobert?!'_ Brian thought. _'If he doesn't show up soon, Principal Brown will know what I'm thinking and that won't be cool at all!'_

"Am I interrupting something, furball?" asked a certain deep voice, prompting the purple fox to reluctantly turned around and saw Tina staring down at him, much to his dismay.

"Look Tina, I'm really having problems of my own right now, so whatever it is you have in mind, can it wait?" Brian pleaded with the t-rex.

"It's going to happen right now, furball." Tina insisted, as she leaned closer to Brian's face. "I still haven't forgotten about you calling me a lizard breath back in the bus, so I suggest you apologize right now and or else!"

"Alright already, I'm sorry." Brian quickly said, hoping it would be enough to please her. What happened next, however, made the situation much worse.

'_I'm sorry to know that you're not being so good looking to begin with!'_

Brian couldn't believe that he just thought of that just now and it didn't help that Tina was there to listen to it in front of her, as her expression grew darker and she growled much louder than usual.

"Oh, that does it!" Tina shouted, before she gave a tremendous roar and proceeded to attempt to stomp on the purple fox. Unfortunately for her, Brian managed to dodge it just in time, before he quickly regained his composure and ran for dear life, with the carnivore in pursuit.

"This is really not a good day!" Brian called out, as Tina rampaged throughout the hallway, destroying every locker and nearly crushing some of her fellow students in her path.

'_I have to get to the science classroom and find Bobert fast before I'm a goner!'_ Brian thought, as he pushed several trash cans along the way, hoping to slow down the enraged t-rex.

Tina, however, was unfazed by this and easily crushed the trash cans, much to the purple fox's chagrin. Desperate to get rid of the dinosaur off of his back, he noticed Banana Joe popping halfway in the hallway and he suddenly got an idea.

"Hey Banana Joe!" Brian called out, prompting the banana to look at Brian in surprise. Before Banana Joe could say anything, Brian turned to the opposite direction, prompting Tina to do the same, only to step on the banana, causing her to slip into an oncoming wall, knocking her out in the process.

"I'm alright." says Banana Joe, despite being injured in the process.

Brian is relieved that Banana Joe was fine and that Tina was knocked out for the moment. But he also knew that the enraged dinosaur will eventually recover and the purple fox wasted no time by running through the hallway with all of his might, hoping he could make it to the science classroom on time.

* * *

Fixing the helmet proved to be a lot complicated than Bobert had anticipated, forcing him to replace a few broken wires, along with the light bulb and improved its usage. It may have been long and tedious, but at least the robot now knows that the helmet wouldn't cause any serious harm once he activated it on Brian's head. Speaking of which…

"I should get this to him right away." Bobert noted.

Before the robot could make a single move, Brian suddenly burst through the door to the science classroom and almost immediately, began to barricade said door with several desks, shelves and even a few chemistry sets. After making sure that the door was secured, the fox sighed with relief, before he confronted Bobert with a glare.

"Where the flip have you been?!" Brian demanded.

"I apologized for the unfortunate delay." Bobert apologized. "It took a lot longer than I thought to fix this helmet and-"

"Alright, apology accepted." says Brian, cutting off the robot. "Just put that helmet on me quick before she comes."

Confused by that last statement, Bobert was about to question him when they heard a loud banging outside the science classroom, leaving them startled by this. It didn't take too long for them to realize who was responsible for doing it.

"I know you're hiding in there, furball!" Tina shouted. "Come out and face your punishment like a man before I barge in there and do it for you!"

"There's no time for explanation!" a panicked Brian informed Bobert. "Just strap that thing on me and let's get this over with!"

Nodding his head in agreement, Bobert strapped the helmet on Brian's head as tightly as he could, all the while securing it in its place. After making sure that the helmet sat firmly on the fox's head, the young robot pulled out the remote control from behind his back, ready to press the red button at any given moment.

"Here goes." says Bobert.

Without any hesitation, the robot proceeded to press the red button on the red remote, causing the helmet to unleash a powerful surge of electricity all over Brian's body. After almost a minute or so, the helmet turned off, as Bobert removed the helmet from the electrocuted fox's head.

"So Brian, did it work?" asked the concern robot.

Brian, however, didn't respond right away, as the fox was too busy trying to regain his composure. After stretching out his arms and legs, the purple fox was about to answer Bobert's question when the door burst wide open, scattering the various objects around, as Tina made her way in the classroom, slowly approached Brian with malicious intent.

"You got nowhere to run now, furball!" Tina yelled at Brian. "But before I pummel you to the ground, do you have any last words to say?"

"Actually, I do." Brian said to the dinosaur. "I just wanted to say that I owe you an apology for that last remark earlier and I assure you that I really mean it."

The purple fox then closed his eyes, praying that this was enough to convince the t-rex to change her mind, all the while fearfully thinking about the punishment she intended to inflict on him.

'_If this doesn't work, then I'm really a goner for sure!'_

Brian then waited for Tina to react to his thoughts, only to find her inspecting him up close instead, suspicious by his apology. After the carnivore stared at the purple fox for a few minutes, she finally spoke, breaking the silence between them.

"Alright, it looks like you were sincere this time around." Tina said to the terrified fox. "But don't say something like that ever again!"

After Tina made her threat, the dinosaur turned around and exited the science classroom, leaving both Brian and Bobert in the classroom on their own, clearly shaken by the dinosaur's presence.

"Thanks for saving me back there." Brian thanked the robot, as he sighed with relief.

"Your welcome, Brian." says Bobert. "Sorry for causing you so much trouble to begin with."

"That's alright, it's all good." Brian said to the robot, accepting his apology. "I'm just glad that this all over."

"Anyway…" Bobert began. "About the project-"

"Thanks, but no thanks." says Brian. "I'm not interested and right now, I have to get to Principal Brown's office to clear this whole mess up."

With that said, the purple fox left the science classroom in a hurry, wanting to get the whole ordeal behind him as quickly as he can.

* * *

The rest of the afternoon went by without any further incidents, as the school bell rang to signal the end of the day, allowing its students to leave for the day until tomorrow. Among the students are Gumball, Darwin, Anais and Brian, the latter relieved that today's ordeal was over.

After making his way to Principal Brown's office, Brian came up with an excuse for the furry slug that he was simply talking about something else and never meant to offend Mr. Small at all. Though Principal Brown was a bit suspicious by this, the furry slug accepted it and called the hippie in so that both of them would bury the hatchet and move on.

'_Thank goodness that's over with.'_ Brian happily thought.

"So Brian, were you able to get Bobert to fix your problem?" asked Gumball.

"As far as I could tell, no one has been reading my mind since then." Brian replied.

"That's a shame then…" Darwin began. "It would have been easier for us to uncover what Miss Simian was up to."

"After what I've been through, I don't think so." Brian informed the two-legged fish.

"Glad to know that everything turned out alright." Anais said to the fox. "Anyway, who's up for a race back home?"

"You don't need to read my mind to know the answer." Brian said to the child prodigy, before he and his friends began to ran all the way to the Watterson residence, just glad to have some fun after what he has been through.

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 28-The Brain: Part 1_

_When Anais' Brain suddenly ditched its host, Gumball, Darwin and Brian desperately go on a frenzied search for it._

**Tidbits**

**-This chapter was loosely inspired by "Mind over Chatter", an episode from Dexter's Laboratory.**

**-First time I did a chapter involving Bobert. Hopefully I did this one very well.**

**-This was rather tricky to do when I first started this chapter, but in the end, it turned out alright.**

**I hope everyone enjoyed "The Mind" and I'll be seeing ya next chapter!**


	28. The Brain: Part 1

**I just want to apologize to everyone for the delay and I hope the wait is worth it.**

**That said, I just wanted to thank Sal for his suggestions on this chapter.**

**Anyway, read and enjoy!**

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 28-The Brain: Part 1

It was just a typical day at the Watterson residence, as Gumball, Darwin and Brian were playing "Suburban Karate Master" and for the purple fox, he was just glad to take a break for the weekend after all the misadventures he kept finding himself in a few days ago.

'_It's not much, but at least I could take a moment to relax a little.'_ Brian thought.

Suddenly, out of the blue, an explosion was heard above the boys' heads, leaving the purple fox startled by this, before Brian turned to his friends.

"What was that just now?!" Brian asked his friends with a tone of panic.

"Oh, that's just Anais doing one of her latest science project." Gumball nonchalantly explained.

"Why is your sister doing something like that in her own room?" asked the purple fox.

"Don't worry about it, Brian…" Darwin explained. "Anais knows what she's doing. After all, she is a genius."

"I guess you're right then." Brian reluctantly agreed. Privately, though, the purple fox couldn't help but be curious by what the child prodigy does in her spare time.

'_Seriously, what would she be doing other than playing with her Daisy the Donkey doll?'_

* * *

The project didn't go quite as well as Anais had hoped for, as she coughed up a few times before fanning the smoke out of her room. She could have sworn that it would work out well, but it turned out to be all for nothing.

"That didn't go exactly like I wanted." Anais says to herself. "Regardless, there's still work to be done and I won't stop until I say so."

With determination filling her mind, the young child prodigy began her work immediately, creating various diagrams, complicated formulas and scientific models, hoping that this time, her science project wouldn't literally blew up in her face.

* * *

While Anais was busy with her latest scientific work, within her head, her brain was working very hard to keep up with the child prodigy's pace, just like it has been doing for the last four years.

But keeping up with a child as smart as Anais was no simple task at all; every time its host has come up with another idea, it had to make sure that the information flow could make it on time for her to act on. However, Anais' Brain was becoming increasingly unnerved by this; all day long, twenty four hours and seven days a week, it was force to make sure that its host would always be ready to come with up some great grandiose plan and it was getting sick of it.

All it wanted was just some peace and quiet for a change; sure, it managed to have that whenever its host was watching Daisy the Donkey on TV every now and then, but it still wasn't enough. What it truly wanted was freedom, where it can do whatever it wanted at any given moment and move about freely, free from a confined space.

Sadly, though, such a thing was beyond its reach and Anais' Brain had to accept that it would be simply impossible to achieve such a desirable goal…wait a second! Of course! It should have thought about this a long time ago! Being in the body of a child genius, Anais' Brain had gathered enough information for the last four years and it only took a few seconds to realize what it needed in order to escape from its host once and for all.

With a newfound determination in mind, Anais' Brain began to run around all over its confined space and soon enough, smoke was starting build up from within its host's head.

* * *

Anais didn't know how long it has been since starting work on her latest attempt at her project, but it didn't matter anyway, since she was finished with it after only a few minutes. It wasn't a new world record, but she was fast enough to finish what she had set out to do.

"Phew, that took a bit longer than I had thought." Anais commented. "Oh well, at least it's finished. Now on to the-"

Before the child prodigy could finish her sentence, Anais smelled something burning in her bedroom. That was strange; she swore she got rid of all the smoke. There was no way that some of it still remained in the house, so where is it coming from?

'_That's weird…'_ Anais thought, rubbing her chin. _'I thought I got rid all of them after that last fiasco. Wait a minute! I think I know where it's-'_

Just as the child prodigy realized what had occurred, a series of cough interrupted her thoughts, as the smoke was coming out of her ears, clouding Anais' vision in the process. As the child prodigy continued to cough up the smoke, it didn't take her long to realize what was happening.

'_What is my brain up to now?! Come to think of it, why is it behaving so-'_

Suddenly, Anais felt an unexpected sneeze coming up, prompting the child prodigy to hold it off as best as she could. But the smoke that continues to pour out of her head made that task impossible. Unable to hold it back any longer, Anais let out a huge sneeze, propelling her brain out of her body.

Anais' Brain land on the soft, shaggy carpet and it couldn't believed what had just happened; the plan really worked out as well as it had expected, freeing it from the confined space that it had been in for almost so long. After all those years, its dream had finally come true after all.

Anais' Brain took a good look at its surrounding and instantly, it was happy with the scenery unfolding right in front of it. Clear blue skies, fresh air and infinite space all around it. This is exactly what it wanted and it wants to make sure it stayed that way.

With this in mind, Anais' Brain decided to take a walk outside of its host's bedroom, but not before it took a good look at the child prodigy, standing around on her own two legs and behaving like a complete imbecile, babbling nonsense and bumping into one section of the room after another.

Anais' Brain couldn't help but feel pity for its host's current state; on the other hand, she never gave it one whole break for all that thinking and it was still peeved by it. Not wanting to go back to its host ever again, Anais' Brain leaped out of the window and got away from her once and for all.

* * *

Gumball, Darwin and Brian went upstairs almost immediately after hearing more commotions coming from Anais' room. That and the fact that the child prodigy was coughing a lot left them a bit concerned, prompting the trio to take a quick peek in Anais' room to see if she was alright.

"Are you sure we should spy on her, you guys?" asked Darwin. "For all we know, she might be a bit busy at the moment."

"That's why we're here, Darwin…" Brian began to explain. "We'll take a quick look inside your sister's room and if nothing's wrong with it, we'll pretend like everything is normal."

"Brian's right." Gumball agreed with the purple fox. "All we're doing is just going in and check up on Anais to see what's up."

With those words spoken, the boys cautiously opened the bedroom door, poking their heads inside to find Anais running around in circle and giggling for no reason, before she suddenly dropped to the floor. Undaunted by this, the child prodigy continued to run around in circle on the floor, leaving the trio completely baffled by this unusual spectacle presented in front of them.

"Anais, are you alright?" asked Brian, prompting the young pink rabbit to stop what she was doing and saw both Brian and her brothers standing in front of her.

"Hello Gum-Gum, Dork-win and Fluffy Wuffy." greeted Anais, as she gave off a goofy smile.

Gumball, Darwin and Brian looked at one another, completely weirded out that the child prodigy gave them such a bizarre greeting. It was the last thing they would expect from her at all.

"Anais, what was that just now?" Darwin asked his sister, arching an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Me don't know. Me just feel like that." Anais replied.

"Alright then…" Gumball remarked, before an idea came to mind. "What's 2+2, Anais?"

"Are you serious, Gumball?" Brian asked, surprise by the blue feline's action. "She's obviously going to get it right."

"Duh...22?" Anais sheepishly answered.

Brian looked at the child prodigy, astonished that she had given out a wrong answer to such a simple math problem. Likewise, Gumball and Darwin were also worried for Anais; they have never seen her behave like this. Somehow, the young pink rabbit had suddenly become a complete buffoon and the boys were completely dumbfounded by her sudden change in demeanor.

"I wonder…" Brian muttered to himself, before he got closer to Anais, looking through the rabbit's ear to see what was going on inside her head.

"Hello!" Brian called out, leaving an eerie echo ringing inside the rabbit's head. As soon as the echo ceased, the fox's face suddenly went pale.

"Guys, I think you should see this."

Confused by their friend's statement, but also worried at the same time, Gumball and Darwin got closer to Anais and both took a quick look inside her head. After inspecting it a bit further, both boys looked at one another with astonishment.

"Darwin, did you see what I see?" asked Gumball.

"Unless I'm imagining this right now, I'd say that Anais' brain has gone missing." Darwin replied.

"That's what I thought." says Gumball, prompting the trio to blink simultaneously. After a few long seconds of silence, the boys suddenly began to panic.

"Aah! Anais' brain has gone missing!" Gumball fearfully exclaimed.

"What should we do?!" Darwin asked his friends. "Should we tell Mrs. Mom and Mr. Dad about this?"

"No Darwin! I don't think they'll believe our story." Gumball replied.

"I'm going to have to side with Gumball on this one." Brian agreed with the blue feline. "I say we go all over town and tracked down your sister's brain."

"But where do we begin? We don't even have the slightest clue where it went." Darwin pointed out.

Before either Gumball or Brian could give out an answer, the latter suddenly slipped and fell on to the floor, much to his confusion. As the Watterson brothers helped him up to his feet, the trio noticed a slimy substance heading out to the window. As the boys inspected the substance further, they spotted more of the stuff on the sidewalk, much to their surprise.

"Well, at least we have our answers." Brian commented. "Alright you guys, let's go get that brain!"

With that said, the trio, along with Anais, immediately headed out the front door, determined to locate the runaway brain at all cost.

* * *

Anais' Brain couldn't believe how big this town really was; sure, it had seen it so many times back in its host, but never like this in person. There were people walking all over the place, cars passing by and bright colors; never in its wildest dream that it would ever face something like this on its own.

As it continued to wander on the sidewalk, still marveling at its new surrounding, Anais' Brain accidentally bumped into what appeared to be some sort of purple moose in front of it. Since it was lost and had no idea where it going, it hoped that this fellow would help it out.

Its mind made up, Anais' Brain proceeded to tug the moose's sweater, trying to get his attention. As the purple moose looked down to see who was tugging his shoulder, his face immediately went pale.

"Aah! A living brain!" shouted the purple moose, before running away as fast as he could.

Anais' Brain stood still, confused by the moose's reaction. It was not the response that it was hoping and it was clearly saddened by this.

As it lamented its situation, Anais' Brain was suddenly interrupted by the ignition of a vehicle, prompting it to turn around and saw an older puppet that the host indentified as Mr. Robinson, preparing to drive into town.

For a while, Anais' Brain considered asking Mr. Robinson for a ride, but it quickly feared that the older puppet would drive off in fear. Instead, it snuck up towards the vehicle and buckled itself in the back seat, just as Mr. Robinson drove off. After all, what could possibly go wrong?

* * *

It had been almost half an hour since Gumball, Darwin and Brian began following the pink substance around Elmore, all the while making sure Anais wouldn't wander off on her own, as the trio kept a close eye on her. During their recent search, the boys were dismayed to find that the pink substance had led them to a dead end, stopping by near one of the parked vehicles.

"This is going to be a lot tougher than I thought." says Brian, rubbing his temple in annoyance.

"We can't give up already, Brian." Gumball informed the fox. "We have to find my sister's brain before mom and dad finds out."

"Don't worry about it, you guys! I think I found her brain!" Darwin called out in the alleyway, prompting Gumball and Brian to make their way to the two-legged fish, dragging the former child prodigy with them. As soon as the duo made their way to the alleyway, they found Darwin rummaging through the dumpster.

"Sorry if I stated the obvious…" Brian began. "But what makes you so sure Anais' brain is there?"

"Look at this!" Darwin exclaimed, before the two-legged fish presented his friends Anais' 'brain'. Both Gumball and Brian, however, were far from happy with Darwin's discovery.

"That's not a brain; that is a cauliflower." Brian pointed out.

"Brian's right, buddy..." Gumball agreed. "You really need to be careful next time.

"You two shut your mouths!" Darwin angrily retorted. "That's no way to talk to Anais' brain!"

As soon as Darwin mentioned the child prodigy's name, both Gumball and Brian turned around and realized that Anais had wandered out of their sights, much to their horror.

"Where's Anais?!" a panicked Brian asked.

Just then, the trio heard a giggling from the streets, as they saw Anais frolicking around traffic, barely dodging one oncoming vehicle after another. The boys couldn't believe what they were seeing right now; if anything where to happen to the young rabbit, they would never forgive themselves.

"Don't worry Anais, I'm coming!" Gumball shouted, as he proceeded to come to his sister's aid.

Unfortunately for Gumball, Anais managed to make her way to the other side of the street, leaving the blue feline in the middle of traffic. Startled and terrified, Gumball barely dodged one car after another for what felt like an eternity, before finally making his way to the other side, just as Brian and Darwin came to his aid.

"Gumball, are you alright?" Darwin asked his older brother.

"I don't want to do that ever again." Gumball replied, still trying to catch his breath.

"That's good to hear." says Brian, before he spotted the former child prodigy playing with Tina's tail.

"Anais, don't play someone's tail like that." Brian called out, before he made his way to the young rabbit.

Anais, however, quickly became bored with this and promptly head in a different direction, just as Brian managed to catch up, as Tina quickly stared at the stunned fox, much to his discomfort.

"Tina, this isn't not what it looks like." was all the purple fox could say, before the carnivore promptly stomped him into the sidewalk and walked away from the scene, as Gumball and Darwin approached their friend with concern.

"Brian, how are you feeling?" asked Gumball.

"Ouch." Brian muttered, as the purple fox slowly got up and brushed off the dirt from his body.

Just then, the boys heard Anais' giggling from a distance, prompting the trio to the direction of said voice. When they got to her, they spotted the former child prodigy at the park, playing at the bottom of the seesaw, oblivious to the fact that a large child was about to get on the other side.

"Anais, watch out!" Darwin shouted, as the two-legged fish quickly ran towards his younger sister.

But the young rabbit managed to get off, as she chased after a butterfly, resulting in Darwin taking her spot instead. Before the two-legged fish could react, the large child finally got on top of the seesaw, sending Darwin flying, screaming for dear life. After what felt like forever, the two-legged fish plummeted down and finally slammed into the ground.

"Darwin, are you alright?" asked Brian, as he and Gumball rushed to his aide.

"Never better, Brian." Darwin happily replied, as he got up to his feet like it was nothing.

"That's good to hear." says Gumball. "Anyway, let's track down Anais before something else happens to her."

With that said, the trio rushed off to find the former child prodigy, hoping that wherever she is, she was at least safe and sound.

* * *

Anais' Brain couldn't believe what had happened; just moments ago, it was sitting behind the back of Mr. Robinson's car, just minding its own business. But when the older puppet saw it from the rearview mirror, its presence caused Mr. Robinson to crash to a nearby fire hydrant, before running from his vehicle in a hurry, leaving Anais' Brain on its own.

The astonished brain couldn't understand what was going on; first the purple moose, then the older puppet. Instead of helping it around town, they both gave the same reaction: a look of horror on their face, before running away screaming.

Anais' Brain doesn't know why they would behave in such a manner. All it wanted was some help to get around town and it was clearly upset that these two would respond like that.

As Anais' Brain tried to take its mind off from its unfortunate encounters, it noticed some people heading what appeared to be a toy store of some sorts. Cautious, but a bit intrigued, Anais' Brain decided to make its way to said store, hoping that the people inside were a lot nicer.

* * *

The last several hours proved to be tedious and torturing for Gumball, Darwin and Brian, forcing the trio to overcome one hurdle after another, just so that Anais could remain safe, but getting hurt in the process, whether it was falling into some debris or getting mauled by dogs. Unwilling to go through anymore pain and suffering, the boys finally put on her a leash, if only to prevent the former child prodigy from wandering off elsewhere again.

"I wish we have thought of this sooner." says Gumball, as he held the leash that Anais was on.

"But that still doesn't change the fact that we're no closer to tracking down your sister's brain." Brian pointed out to Gumball.

"Don't be a downer, Brian." Darwin said to the purple fox. "We'll find Anais' brain sooner or later. After all, it's not like it'll just be deposited in our laps."

On cue, the boys could hear people panicking and screaming from a distance, prompting them to follow the source, dragging the former child prodigy with them. Upon arrival, the trio was alarmed that mostly everyone was running out from a toy store for some reason.

"Run for your life! There's a living brain inside!" One shopper shouted, before he ran off.

Gumball, Darwin and Brian couldn't believe what they have just heard; somehow, they were able to find Anais' brain by sheer dumb luck.

"Well, that was inconvenient." Brian flatly said.

"Tell me about it." says Gumball, as he tied and secured the leash on a nearby lamp post, making sure that his sister won't wander off. "Now Anais, I want you to stay here. Don't move."

"Okey-dokey, Gum-Gum." Anais said to her big brother, complying with her brother's demand.

"At least that's been taken care of." said Darwin, before he, Gumball and Brian head off to the store, intending to retrieve Anais' brain and return it to its rightful owner.

* * *

Anais' Brain was just as stumped by the reaction it received upon its arrival to the toy store. As soon as it made its presence known to the busy shoppers, almost everyone fled from it, treating it like some sort of monster.

Anais' Brain was both confused and sadden how its day was turning out so far. All it wanted was to have a bit of fun, but every person it had met so far only responded with fear. It's like they have never seen an actual brain before in their entire lives.

As Anais' Brain tried to figure out the cause of their reactions, the main door to the toy store burst wide open, garnering its attention. In front of the brain was a blue feline, a two-legged fish and a purple fox, all looking at it with a frown. It didn't take too long for Anais' Brain to realize who they were.

"Alright, brain…" Gumball began. "I don't know why you ditched my sister like that, but whatever it is, this ends now."

"All we're asking for is that you come back to Anais right away. She can't go on without you." Brian explained.

"So would you please just come back with us?" Darwin begged to the brain.

Anais' Brain pondered for a while, leaving the boys very anxious to see its response. After a long while, Anais' Brain looked back at the boys and blew a raspberry at them, before heading deeper into the store.

'_Geez Louise! Why is it always the hard way?'_ Brian thought in dismay, before he and his friends began chasing after it. As the boys looked from one aisle after the other, the two-legged fish caught a glimpse of Anais' Brain among some Daisy the Donkey dolls.

"There it is!" Darwin exclaimed.

"What are we waiting for? Let's get it!" declared Gumball, as the trio began to head towards Anais' Brain.

Undaunted by their actions, the defiant brain promptly grabbed the nearest doll and proceeded to throw it as a projectile, hitting one of the boys on the head. Before the trio knew what was happening, Anais' Brain began flinging the dolls with increasing speed, forcing Gumball, Darwin and Brian to duck for cover behind some nearby trash cans.

"Wow, that brain really doesn't want to go back to Anais at all." said an astonished Brian.

"Well it has to go back to her, whether it wants to or not." Gumball said to his friend.

"But how do we do that?" asked Darwin. "We try persuading it, but that didn't work out at all."

"Well, there is one way we can do." Brian informed his friends, earning a curious look from both Gumball and Darwin.

Noticing their reaction right away, the purple fox whispered to them about his plan. After several seconds, both the blue feline and two-legged fish nodded their heads, understanding what Brian was talking about, much to his satisfaction.

"So it's settled." said Brian, before him and his friends positioned themselves. "On our mark…get set…"

**"CHARGE!"** the boys shouted simultaneously, charging right towards the aisle, ramming it as hard as they could. The trio's unexpected action caused Anais' Brain to lose its balance, struggling to keep its composure as best as it can. Despite its best effort, the stunned brain eventually slipped off from the aisle, dropping towards the floor.

"Don't worry, you guys, I got it!" Brian shouted, before he leaped towards Anais' Brain, grabbing it at the nick of time.

Much to his surprise, however, the brain was quite slippery than he imagined and almost immediately, Anais' Brain was able to slip out of the purple fox's grasp. Stunned but determined, both Gumball and Darwin attempted to grab the brain with all their might, but their efforts proved to be futile, as Anais' Brain effortlessly slipped out of their grasp.

'_You have got to be kidding me! Stay still for a moment!'_ Gumball angrily thought.

After several more minutes of trying to grab the relentless brain, it finally slipped some distance away, as Anais' Brain blew a raspberry at the boys and immediately ran towards the other side of the toy store.

"It's getting away!" Darwin shouted, prompting him and his friends to follow its lead.

But before they had a chance, the trio stepped on a leftover brain juice, causing them to skid uncontrollably towards a display of action figures. Unable to stop, the boys collided with the display head-on, knocking several action figures to the ground.

"We really need to be careful next time." Brian commented, before him and his friends got up to regain their composure.

As the purple fox began to remove some of the discard action figures from his hoodie, Brian noticed that Anais' Brain was climbing up towards to a window, no doubt leading to the alleyway.

"Guys, we're going to lose that brain!" yelled Brian. "I'll head to the alleyway while you two go grab Anais."

"You got it, Brian." says Gumball.

"Don't worry; we'll meet up with you." Darwin assured his friend.

With that in mind, the boys split up, hoping that they weren't too late to catch up with Anais' Brain.

* * *

Brian head out to the back of the store, locating the back door. Without any hesitation, the purple fox immediately opened it and went out into the alleyway, just in time to see Anais' Brain climbing out to the other side, on top of a dumpster. Determined to catch it once and for all, Brian ran as fast as he can, hoping the runaway brain didn't notice his presence.

Suddenly, a net appeared from the corner of the building, ensnaring Anais' Brai, before it began pulling away. Panicked by this surprising turn of event, Brian ran even harder, before making his way to the corner of the building as cautiously as he could.

'_I just hope I don't get spotted.'_ Brian thought to himself, before he poked his head from the corner, hoping to get a glimpse of the person who snatched the child prodigy's brain.

The person in question turned out to be a green octopus, dressed up like a scientist, from the lab coat and all the way to the medical gear. Brian had an uneasy feeling about the doctor, as he looked at Anais' Brain like he had won some prize and smiled with glee.

"Ah, I see I got myself another specimen; just what I need for my collection by yours truly, Dr. Octagon."

As the purple fox continued to look on, Brian felt a slight tap on his shoulder, causing him to yelp, before quickly realizing that it was Gumball and Darwin, the latter holding the leash that Anais was strapped to.

"What's going on, Brian?" Gumball asked the purple fox. "Where's Anais' brain?"

"Some crazed octopus managed to catch your sister's brain before I had a chance." Brian responded, before he and his friends could hear the engine starting up. They have no doubt that the octopus planned to drive off with his merchandise.

"That's not good." Darwin pointed out.

"Agreed." says Brian. "We have to follow that car and take your sister's brain from that octopus before it's too late."

Both Gumball and Darwin nodded their heads in agreement and along with Anais, the boys soon followed the doctor's car, not knowing where he was going, so long as they could get the child prodigy's brain back safe and sound.

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 29-The Brain: Part 2_

_Gumball, Darwin and Brian tracked down Anais' brain to a house that is anything but normal._

**Tidbits**

**-I considered giving Anais' Brain a talking role, similar to Gumball's Brain, but I decided to make it more of a silent character instead.**

**-For the voice of Dr. Octagon, I have Rob Paulsen in mind, due to his role as Doctor Scratchnsniff from "The Animaniacs".**

**-It's been a long while, but I was finally able to do a two-part chapter for the very first time.**

**I hope everyone enjoyed read part 1 of "The Brain" and I'll see ya next time in part 2!**


	29. The Brain: Part 2

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 29-The Brain: Part 2

It had more than several minutes since Gumball, Darwin and Brian had been following Dr. Octagon. As if that wasn't difficult enough, the trio had to make sure that Anais didn't wander off or make a lot of noises; the last thing they wanted was for the green octopus to become aware of their presence. Fortunately for them, Dr. Octagon continued to drive none the wiser, as the boys eventually tracked him down to what appeared to be a typical suburban house, as they witnessed him parking in the driveway and heading inside, with Anais' Brain still trapped in the net.

"I can't believe it took us a while just to make it here in one piece." says Gumball.

"Tell me about…" Brian began. "I just have to make sure that your sister didn't give away our position. I swear, I thought for sure that doctor has heard Anais' giggling from behind the bushes."

"The important thing is that we manage to track down her brain." Darwin pointed out.

"Darwin's right." Brian agreed with that assessment. "Now that we know that brain won't be going anywhere, we'll just have to sneak in, grab it without the doctor knowing and head back home."

With those words spoken, the boys, as well as Anais, headed towards the backyard, all the while making sure that the green octopus wouldn't notice their presence in his home.

* * *

Dr. Octagon couldn't believe what he just found today. One minute, he was minding his own business taking care of his usual errands and the next thing the green octopus knew, he managed to find a living brain walking about in the alleyway. The doctor didn't know why it was alive and he could have cared less. All he knew was that he found a worthy specimen to add to his collection.

"This must be my lucky day." Dr. Octagon said to himself, as he made his way downstairs to the basement, the living brain still squirming in his net.

"Struggle all you want…" the green octopus informed the brain. "But you'll soon learn your place once I start the processing for my collection."

As soon as Dr. Octagon told Anais' Brain about this, it suddenly stopped squirming and looked at the green octopus with curiosity, despite its deep fear towards its captor.

"You'll find out soon enough." Dr. Octagon informed his captive, as he approached the basement door and unlocked it with a key hidden in his lab coat.

The moment that green octopus and the brain entered the room; the latter was completely horrified by what it was seeing. One row after another, there were memorabilia of the morbid and the macabre, from a disembodied hand to the Fiji mermaid, all trapped and confined in what appeared to be specialized custom-made cages.

The moment Anais' Brain saw the captives inside, it didn't took too long for it to realize that this was the fate the octopus had in store for it, as he began to laugh like a crazed lunatic, prompting the brain to squeak in horror.

"Don't be so overdramatic." Dr. Octagon dismissively spoke, as hung the net on a nearby hook. "The processing will be quick and painless and you won't even feel a thing."

The doctor's words, however, hardly calmed down Anais' Brain, still horrified by his "collections". It couldn't believe how today was turning out: it had gone from bad to worse and as much as it hated to admit, it prayed that those boys would show up and saved it from a fate worse than death

* * *

Getting inside the doctor's home proved to be much easier than expected, as the back door was surprisingly unlocked, saving the trio the trouble to find a way to unlock it. Even so, the last thing they wanted to do is alert the octopus of their presence and that was a risk they weren't going to take.

"Alright, that was a lot easier than I imagined." Brian commented. "Now, where is that doctor?"

"I don't know and I'd rather not stick around and find out." Gumball replied.

"We'll just stay quiet for the moment." Darwin pointed. "Also, we need to keep an eye on Anais as well."

"Speaking of which, where is your sister?" asked Brian, noticing that she was no longer on the leash.

On cue, the boys could hear ruckus coming from the kitchen, prompting the trio to immediately head towards the area and find the former child prodigy on the counter top, attempting to reach her hands towards some pans hanging above her.

"Ooh! Shiny!" said Anais, as she tried to grabbed them.

"Anais, be careful!" Gumball called out, as he immediately leaped towards her.

The young pink rabbit, however, noticed something on the ground and immediately made her way towards it, causing the blue feline to slam hard on the counter top, causing several pans to hit Gumball rather hard and painful.

"Gumball, are you alright?" asked Darwin, as he and Brian made their way to the injured feline.

"Other than a painful migraine, I'm fine." Gumball replied, as he stretched his back.

Just then, the boys heard someone unlocking the door from down below and before they knew it, a certain octopus called out from down the basement.

"Who's there?"

The moment the octopus spoke, panic soon set in on the boys, clearly worried what the doctor would find them there.

"What should we do, guys?!" a panic Gumball asked. "If he finds out, there's no telling what he'll do to us!"

"Let's calm down and think for a minute." says Brian, as the purple fox attempted to calm the frightened feline. "Right now, we need to find a hiding spot and stay quiet so that doctor doesn't suspect anything."

"Brian's right about this, Gumball." Darwin agreed with the purple fox. "We could also check the basement out while that octopus is distracted. Are you fine with that?"

Gumball nodded his head in response to the two-legged fish's last statement, assuring his friends that he understood everything. With that in mind, the boys hid to the closet, dragging the former child prodigy with them, just as Dr. Octagon arrived to survey the pans scattered all over the place.

"That's strange…" Dr. Octagon began. "I was certain that there was someone up here."

As the octopus rubbed his face with one of his tentacles, Gumball, Darwin and Brian poked their heads from the closet door, spying on the unsuspecting doctor inspecting the mess.

"So, what do we do now?" Gumball whispered to Brian.

"Isn't it obvious, Gumball? We'll head right to the basement while the octopus is distracted. I'm certain that Anais' brain is right down below us." the purple fox explained.

"Are you serious, Brian?" Gumball asked in disbelief.

"What choices do we have, Gumball? We head down to the basement, get Anais' brain and leave as quickly as we can or we leave just the house empty handed." Brian replied.

"I have to agree with Brian on this one. We don't have much of a choice." says Darwin. "Besides, that octopus fellow seems pretty occupied at the moment."

Gumball pondered for a moment, thinking of the situation that he and his friends have found themselves in. On one hand, heading down to the basement sound like a death wish. However, on the other hand, his sister's brain is also down in the basement and the last thing he wanted was to abandon it to some horrible fate.

After much thinking, the blue feline turned his attention to his friends, ready to give out his answer.

"Alright you guys, let's do this."

With that, the trio quietly tiptoed away from the kitchen and making their way towards the basement, taking Anais with them, praying that everything will turn out alright in the end.

* * *

Once the boys, along with the former child prodigy, made their way down to the basement door, the trio was surprised to find out that it was unlocked, no doubt that the octopus must have left it open in his haste. Grateful that luck was on their side for a change, Gumball, Darwin and Brian, along with Anais, made their way in; upon arrival, however, the trio was stunned to see what they were looking at.

Right in front of the boys was rows upon rows of the morbid and macabre, with each cage housing a living being representing the unusual theme of the collection itself; whether it was a jackalope or a chupacabra, just seeing them was enough to make the trio rather uncomfortable.

"What kind of man are we dealing with?" an astonished Brian asked.

"I really don't want to know." Gumball fearfully replied. "All I do know is that we're dealing with a nutcase over here."

"Let's worried about that later, you guys…" Darwin began. "Let's find Anais' brain and get out of here before that doctor comes back."

"You're right Darwin. We should focus on the task at hand." Brian agreed with the two-legged fish. "But we're do we even-"

Before the purple fox could finished his sentence, both him and his friends were interrupted by the sound of squirming a few inches away, prompting the boys to turned to the direction of the noise to find that it was Anais' Brain making the noise, struggling to free itself from the net that was hanging on the hook.

"Never mind then." says Brian, as he and his friends made their way to the captured brain.

The moment Anais' Brain saw them coming towards it, it was filled with joy and glee, happy to see the boys and its host for once.

"Whoa there, little guy. Calm down for a second." Gumball informed Anais' Brain, prompting it to obey the blue feline's words. "We'll get you out of that net right away. Just stay calm just for a moment."

While Gumball did his best to assure Anais' Brain that everything was going to be fine and Brian and Darwin looked on, the former child prodigy saw a big red button on the desk, just a few inches from her reach, piquing her curiosity. With the boys being too busy to look after her, Anais proceeded to make her way towards the red button, climbing up the chair and up on the desk, mesmerized by its appearance.

"Ooh, what does this button do?" Anais asked no one in particular.

The moment the former child prodigy opened her mouth, Gumball, Darwin and Brian immediately spotted Anais on top of the desk, her finger inching closer to the red button, prompting the purple fox to rush towards to the young rabbit as quickly as he could.

"Anais, don't push the-"

But it was too late, as the former child prodigy pressed the red button, triggering the alarm system, much to the horror of both the trio and Anais' Brain.

'_I can't believe she did that!'_ Brian thought, as he quickly grabbed hold of Anais, while Gumball and Darwin ripped the net open as fast as they could, freeing the child prodigy's brain in the process.

"Guys, I have Anais with me!" Brian called out.

"That's a relief." says Gumball. "Darwin and I have her brain with us."

"As much as I want to celebrate, this may not be the right time to do so." Darwin pointed out "Let's just get out of here before he…comes…back…"

The two-legged fish trailed off the moment he laid his eyes on a certain green octopus, prompting Darwin to yelp, as he, his friends and Anais' Brain slowly backed away from Dr. Octagon. It was clear that the doctor had heard what was going on in his basement and judging from his expression, he was hardly happy to see them at all.

"Well, what do I have here?" Dr. Octagon asked with amusement. "It looks like a bunch of unwelcomed brats that dare to trespass on my property and steal the latest addition to my collection."

Gumball, Darwin and Brian, however, didn't say a single word, as the trio were too afraid to do anything else, worried how the green octopus would react if they opened their mouths. Dr. Octagon, however, wasn't interested in hearing anything else at all, as he resumed talking once more.

"No matter, I'm afraid that I have no choice but to add you three to my collections!"

Much to the trio's horror, the green octopus pulled various surgical tools from all eight tentacles; as if that wasn't enough, the demented doctor smile sadistically, before he proceeded to laugh like a crazed psychopath and it was clear that he was unstable.

Stunned by what they were witnessing, Gumball, Darwin and Brian screamed in horror and ran as far away from the deranged octopus and deeper into the basement, with Brian holding onto Anais while her brain was hanging onto Gumball's sweater with all of its might.

Undaunted by this, Dr. Octagon proceeded to go after the boys, his tentacles still holding the various surgical tools, intending to go through with his threat. However, the boys made a sudden turn to the right and before the green octopus knew what happened, the trio was nowhere to be found.

"Come out of your hiding spots this instant, so I can perform the surgery!" the crazed octopus shouted, slowly wandering around the basement, searching through one aisle after another.

As Dr. Octagon continued his search for his intended victims, Gumball, Darwin and Brian were able to quickly lodged them in a small but spacious spot in one of the aisle, with the purple fox cover Anais' mouth to keep her from giving them away, while her brain hid inside the blue feline's sweater for safety

"Gumball, what should we do?" a panic Brian whispered. "There's no way I'm going to be a part of some psychopath's collection."

"I don't know Brian!" Gumball whispered back, also horrified as well. "All I do know is that we need a miracle to make it out of here alive."

"You guys, what about Anais' brain?" asked Darwin.

"What about it?" Brian questioned the two-legged fish. "I don't think this is the right time to talk about-"

"Wait a minute, Brian…" Gumball began. "Maybe Darwin's onto something."

"It's not the best idea I got, but it's better than nothing." says Darwin.

"Whatever it is, you might as well say it, before that crazed creep shows up." Brian pointed out.

Darwin hesitated for a moment, uncertain whether or not his friends would accept his idea right off the bat. But after the purple fox pointed out their situation, the two-legged fish decided that this was the right time to let them know what he had in mind.

"Well, if you must know…"

* * *

It had been several minutes since Dr. Octagon spotted those trespassers in his home. It was the last thing that the doctor was expecting to happen, but then again, he didn't expect to have an encounter with a living brain as well. Regardless, the green octopus was determined to reclaim his latest addition, as well as add those three boys and that little girl into his collection.

'_Now where the flip are those brats?'_ Dr. Octagon thought, as he continued to inspect one aisle after another, hoping that they would show up sooner or later.

"Hey Dr. Quack!" shouted a certain blue feline.

Dr. Octagon stopped in his tracks, prompting him to turn to the direction of the voice and spotted his trespassers, along with the living brain, right in front of him. But what really amazed him is that they just happened to have the courage to directly face him in person. The green octopus was quite suspicious by their actions: what prompted them to make such a bold move so suddenly and why? Nevertheless, those brats and that brain had just saved him the trouble of locating them.

"I don't know what you're up to…" Dr. Octagon began. "But it matters not. You kids are about to face your makers."

"Then you better catch us if you can." Brian called out.

Unfazed by the purple fox's taunts, the crazed doctor immediately rushed towards the trespassers, intending to finish the problem once and for all. But before Dr. Octagon could even reached one of them, they suddenly split up, surprising the green octopus in the process, as Gumball, Darwin and Anais' Brain went to one direction, while Brian, still carrying Anais, went in another direction.

'_What are you brats up to?'_ Dr. Octagon thought, suspicious by their actions. But as much as the green octopus wanted to dwell on this, it was not the right time or place to do so, as Dr. Octagon started to chase after Gumball, Darwin and Anais' Brain, due to the trio being in closer proximity.

* * *

Gumball, along with Darwin and Anais' Brain, couldn't believe that the deranged octopus had actually fallen for part of their plan. While the trio didn't expect it to happen so soon, it was nevertheless working in their favors and right now, they preferred it that way, hoping that the doctor didn't catch on their next move.

"Alright Darwin, what do we do now?" asked Gumball.

In response, the two-legged fish quickly whispered to his older brother on their next move; after a few seconds or so, Gumball nodded his head, understanding on their next course of action, before he turned his attention to Dr. Octagon.

"Try to catch us if you can, Calamari!" Gumball taunted the relentless octopus.

Dr. Octagon was irked by the blue feline's name calling, but kept his composure and continued pursing his unwelcomed guests, attempting to assault them with his various surgical tools. For their part, Gumball, Darwin and Anais' Brain were able to dodge one blow after the other, from a combination of both dumb luck and timing.

'_Oh man! That quack really wants to make mincemeat out of us!'_ Gumball thought, as he, his brother and his sister's brain continued to avoid the doctor's surgical tools as best as they could.

As the trio continued to dodge Dr. Octagon's, they noticed an opening coming up ahead. Noticing this almost immediately, both Gumball and Darwin turned to Anais' Brain, the latter understanding what to do next. Without any hesitation on its part, Anais' Brain proceeded to slid across the floor, leaving a trail of brain juice along the way, before it and the boys made a quick turn. Likewise, Dr. Octagon attempted to follow them, but one of his tentacles accidentally made contact with the juice, causing the green octopus to slide far away from his trespassers, unable to stop his tracks.

'_This was totally unexpected!'_ Dr. Octagon thought, as the green octopus feverishly attempted to slow down as much as he can. But as the doctor desperately tried to prevent further skidding, he noticed a wall zooming closer to him, much to his disbelief.

'_This is going to be painful!'_ Dr. Octagon, as the green octopus closed his eyes, before slamming into the wall.

* * *

Gumball, Darwin and Anais' Brain could hear a huge noise not far from where they were minutes earlier. There was no doubt that the crazed doctor had crashed into the wall, much to the trio's relief; they were safe for the moment, something they can use to their advantage.

"Wow Darwin, I can't believed it really work." says Gumball.

"I'm just surprised that it really happened at all." Darwin said to his older brother.

Just then, Brian showed up in front of the trio, still holding on to Anais, with a look of concern on his face.

"Guys, I came here as soon as possible. What happen just now?" asked the purple fox.

"Let's just say that we manage to take care of that doctor for the moment." Gumball replied.

"That's good to hear." said Brian, relieved that his friends, as well as the child prodigy's brain, were safe and sound.

"Now that everyone is here, let's get the flip out of here." Darwin informed his friends, before the two-legged fish began heading for the stairs, before the purple fox put his paw on his shoulder, stopping Darwin in his tracks.

"Hang on for a moment Darwin; I have to do something real quick." Brian said to his friend, before he put Anais down and made his way to the console, much to his friends' confusion.

"Sorry for asking the obvious, but what are you doing?" asked Gumball.

"That's simple…" Brian began. "I'm just going to leave the good doctor a nice present."

Before Gumball and Darwin knew what he was about to do, the purple fox pressed the green button, causing the cages from each aisle to automatically opened, freeing all of its occupants, happy that they were finally released from their confine, much to Brian's satisfaction.

"Alright, now we can go." said Brian, before him and his friends, as well as Anais and her brain, quickly head upstairs, locking the basement door in the process.

Meanwhile, Dr. Octagon managed to get up, despite being injured from his meeting with the wall. The green octopus couldn't believe that those three were able to pull such a move on him.

"When I get my tentacles on those brats, I'll make them wish they would never-"

Before he could finished his sentence, Dr. Octagon felt something right behind him, prompting the green octopus to slowly turn around and see, to his disbelief, that his entire collection were out of their cages, all of them angrily staring at him.

"Oh…um, can we talk about this?" the green octopus sheepishly asked.

But none of them were interested to hear what Dr. Octagon wanted to say, cracking their knuckles in response and before the green octopus knew it, they all proceeded to leap towards him, pummeling him with all of their might, as the doctor screamed in pain and agony.

* * *

Several hours had passed since the boys were in that maniac's house, but Gumball, Darwin and Brian, along with Anais and her brain, were able to make it back to the Watterson residence in the nick of time. They were fortunate enough that Richard and Nicole were still out, saving them the need to come up with an excuse for where they were all day.

"I'm glad that ordeal is over." says Brian. "I just hope I don't get to see that quack again."

"Agreed." Gumball and Darwin simultaneously said, before all three turned to Anais Brain.

"So, are you ready to go back inside of your host?" asked Brian.

Anais' Brain nodded in agreement to the purple fox, assuring him and his friends that he was ready to come back inside. After what happened today, it preferred to stay in the young rabbit's head from now on.

"That's good to know." says Gumball. "Anyway, get back inside Anais' head before mom and dad shows up."

With that, Anais' Brain leaped into the child prodigy's ear, slowly crawling its way back to the host's head, while the boys looked on, hoping that Anais would be back to her old self.

"Anais, how are you feeling?" Darwin asked his sister.

"Me…feel…a bit better now, Darwin." Anais replied, as she started to regain her intelligence once again, much to the boys' relief.

"Anais, you're back to your old self!" exclaimed Gumball, as he hugged the child prodigy with all of his might.

"You're…crushing…me!" the child prodigy blurted out, prompting the blue feline to put her down right away and rubbing his head sheepishly.

"Don't worry Anais, you're brother was just happy that you're safe and sound." Brian explained to the confused child prodigy.

"What are you guys talking about? Come to think of it, why are all of you behaving like this?"

"Believe me Anais, its best that you don't know at all." Brian replied.

"We're just happy that everything is back to normal." says Gumball.

"Now if you don't mind, we just want to lie down and relax." Darwin informed his sister.

With that, the trio fainted, leaving Anais stunned and surprised by this, unaware of the trouble the boys had gone through all day.

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 30-The Fire: Part 1_

_Dealing with Ivan was bad enough, but Brian finds himself dealing with another potential rival for Rhonda._

**Tidbits**

**-This was another chapter I found to be quite challenging, but eventually, I was able to find a way to complete this.**

**-Originally, the setting for part 2 was going to take place in a castle, but I decided to change it to a seemingly normal suburban house instead, mainly because I'm already using a castle setting for my other story, "The Vampire".**

**Thanks to everyone who had read part 2 of "The Brain" and I'll be seeing ya next chapter!**


	30. The Fire: Part 1

**I just wanted to thank Silent Arrancar for creating an OC for this two-part chapter. Also, I finally have the time to use Gummypuss' suggestions he made back in chapter 19 and I apologized for the long delay. Finally, I wanted to thank wiseguy1107 for his suggestion on this chapter.**

**Anyway, please read and enjoy!**

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 30-The Fire: Part 1

It was just another day at Elmore Academy, as Rhonda, along with her fellow students, were force to listen to another typical lecture from their economics teacher, Mr. Dull, a moth dressed in a brown suit, with a white dress shirt underneath, along with a red bowtie, black trousers and loafers.

"Alright class…" Mr. Dull spoke in a droning, monotone voice. "Today, I'll be talking about your upcoming exam this week…"

Rhonda, along with the rest of the class, could only groan in dismay, as Mr. Dull began explaining what the exam was about. It's not that they didn't hate Mr. Dull at all; in fact, he was really professional with his job. The real problem is that he always ended up boring the entire class, due to his tone of voice and as a result, most students don't show much interest in his so-called "lectures".

'_Skipping school suddenly sounds much fun than listening to this.'_ Rhonda thought, as she tried her best to pay attention to Mr. Dull.

As the mouse and some of the students tried to stay awake, unbeknownst to Rhonda, one student seemed to pay more attention to her than to Mr. Dull's lecture. He was a humanoid made out of fire and as such, his school uniform was customized to be fireproof to prevent further damage. In addition to this, he was slightly taller than the mouse, though not as tall as a certain red bear. Speaking of which…

"Hey hothead…" Ivan whispered at the fire humanoid. "Who the heck are you staring at?"

"First of all, it's Scorch." The fire humanoid explained, still irked by Ivan's presence. "Second, that's none of your business, Neanderthal."

"Say that again to my face." Ivan snapped back at Scorch, before both boys glared at one another with utter disdain.

"What are you two doing back there?" a certain feminine voice asked out of nowhere, prompting both Ivan and Scorch to happily turn around to see Rhonda looking at them.

"It was nothing important." Ivan and Scorch replied simultaneously, pretending that neither of them was fighting amongst each other.

Rhonda looked at both Ivan and Scorch, still a bit weirded out by their responses. But as much as she wanted to dwell on this, she knew fully well that this was neither the place nor time to think about it, as the mouse, along with the bear and the fire humanoid, quickly focused their attention back to Mr. Dull, just as the moth was finishing up his explanation of the exam.

"Now that has been covered, it's time to move on with today's lesson…"

While the moth went on with the latest economic lecture, Scorch continued to look at Rhonda, admiring the mouse just a few desks away, one of the few things that would make his day much better in Elmore Academy.

'_Sooner or later, I'll summon up the courage to let you know how I feel about you.'_ Scorch thought, dreaming of the day that he can confess his feelings to Rhonda.

* * *

The day at Elmore Academy has come to an end, as the school bell rang, prompting the gates to automatically open to let out its students until tomorrow came. Among the students that were coming out was Scorch, looking quite determined and upbeat, as he searched for a certain mouse.

'_Where's Rhonda?'_ Scorch wondered, trying to make his way to the entrance. _'I need to let her know exactly how I-'_

"Hey Scorch, what's bring you over here?"

Scorch's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Rhonda, as she was standing right next to the fire humanoid, much to his surprise.

"Oh…um…hey there…" greeted Scorch, his cheeks blushed brightly. "I didn't see you there or anything. So, do you have any plans for today?"

"Actually, I do." Rhonda replied, as she and the fire humanoid walked their way towards the gate. "In fact, I'm waiting for a friend to show up."

"Is that so?" Scorch questioned the mouse. "So are you waiting for Edie, Rose or Momo to come by?"

Before Rhonda could say anything to Scorch, the mouse noticed a certain purple fox standing outside of Elmore Academy, prompting the fire humanoid to look at him curiously.

"Hey there Rhonda." Brian happily greeted the mouse. "Sorry I was late, but my exam took much longer than I imagined."

"Don't worry about it, Brian. My day wasn't any different from yours." assured Rhonda.

"That's good to hear." said Brian, before he noticed Scorch right next to the mouse. "Anyway, who's that?"

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot…" Rhonda began. "Brian, this is Scorch, a friend of mine from Elmore Academy. Scorch, this is Brian O'Quinn, the one I was talking about."

"Well, it's nice to meet you Scorch." Brian greeted, as he waved his paw at the fire humanoid.

Scorch, however, didn't respond right away, still staring at the purple fox with a mix of disbelief and chagrin. He couldn't believe that Rhonda was hanging out with him. In fact, his secret crush, for one reason or another, had been hanging out with that fox ever since he participated in the exchange school program.

* * *

**3 weeks earlier…**

Scorch couldn't believe his luck when he discovered that Rhonda, along with a handful of students, had signed up for the exchange school program. So when he learned that his crush, as well as a handful of students, were heading to Elmore Junior High, as part of the program, the fire humanoid decided to signed up as well, if only because it would be his chance to confess his feelings for the mouse.

Now here he is, dressed in a white shirt, black pants and blue sneakers, standing in front of Elmore Junior High; Scorch was rather nervous when it came to love, especially when it came to someone he has feelings for. Even so, the fire humanoid was determined to let Rhonda know about his love for her.

"Alright Scorch, you can do this." the fire humanoid muttered to himself, before he proceeded through the school doors, determined to let his crush know how he felt.

'_Now where could Rhonda be?'_ Scorch wondered, as the fire humanoid searched throughout the hallway, looking for the mouse as best as he can. After a few minutes, Scorch eventually spotted her near the corner, much to his joy.

"This is now or never." Scorch says to himself, before he slowly approached Rhonda, ready for the confession. But just as soon as he started to make his way to the mouse, the fire humanoid stopped dead in his tracks and couldn't believe what he was looking at: in front of his crush was a purple fox, along with a blue feline, a two-legged fish and a small, pink rabbit. Judging from their expressions, the four were somehow familiar with Rhonda, especially the purple fox, much to Scorch's displeasure.

'_Who the heck is that guy?!'_ Scorch angrily thought, as he felt his temperature rising from his body. _'Whoever he is, he better not get too friendly with Rhonda!'_

As much as Scorch wanted to dwell on this, the fire humanoid lowered the temperature down, eventually calming down a bit, before he turned away, disappointed that his only chance to confess his crush didn't go as he had planned.

* * *

**The present…**

Scorch continued to stand in his spot, still staring at the unsuspecting fox with chagrin. He couldn't believe he had to face him once again; he can still recall the basketball game both the fox and his crush participated and that left him both depressed and bitter. Just what does Rhonda saw in Brain? Furthermore, what ulterior motive does the purple fox have for befriending the mouse?

'_I don't know what you're up to…'_ Scorch thought, looking at Brian suspiciously. _'But whatever it is, I'll make sure that it won't happen.'_

"Scorch, are you alright?" Rhonda asked, snapping the fire humanoid back to reality.

"Sorry about that, Rhonda." Scorch apologized, rubbing his head sheepishly. "My mind was…somewhere else."

"Are you sure you're fine?" asked Brian, irking the fire humanoid to hear the purple fox, though not enough to show his contempt.

"Oh yeah, hi there." Scorch greeted the fox, ignoring the fox's question, before he turned his attention to the mouse. "Anyway, I have to go now. I'll see you later Rhonda."

With that, the fire humanoid walked right past Rhonda and Brian, leaving the two confused by the fire humanoid's action.

"What was that just now?" Brian asked Rhonda.

"I'm not so sure." Rhonda replied. "He didn't behave like that before."

As Rhonda pondered about Scorch's action, Brian couldn't help but feel that he might not have made a good impression on the fire humanoid because he was near the mouse's presence. Did Scorch himself harbor the same feeling for Rhonda like he did? Regardless, he hoped to find a way to get on his good side.

* * *

The next day at Elmore Junior High, Brian told the Watterson siblings of his encounter with Scorch during his usual routine with Rhonda. As soon as the purple fox finished his story, the trio was surprised to hear this, as well as their friend's behavior towards this person.

"Let me get this straight…" Gumball began. "You just happen to meet this Scorch fellow on your way to meet up with Rhonda yesterday afternoon and he just practically ignored you?"

"Not entirely, Gumball." Brian replied. "I mean, he sort of said 'hi' when I greeted him, but otherwise, he didn't seem to want me around at all. I have the feeling that it might have to do with the fact that I'm hanging out with Rhonda."

"I have to be honest; I'm surprised that your attitude towards Scorch is quite different compare to Ivan." says Darwin.

"That's because Ivan proved to be a bully and a jerk." Brian pointed out. "Besides, Scorch is nothing like Ivan. He seems like a nice guy to me."

"Even if that last statement is true, what makes you so sure that he wanted to be friends with you?" Anais asked the purple fox.

"Honestly, I don't." Brian replied. "But maybe if I tried to find some common grounds with him, or at least impressed him enough, then maybe Scorch would give me a chance and he'll see me in a different light."

"That's easier said than done, considering that you're hanging out with Rhonda every afternoon." says Gumball.

"That's why I want you to come with me after school." Brian suggested, to the blue feline's surprise. "Think about it Gumball, if you showed up with me this afternoon, perhaps Scorch might feel differently towards me."

"I don't know Brian…" Gumball began, rubbing his head sheepishly. "It sounds like a long shot to me. For all we know, it might make things much worse."

"C'mon Gumball, it's just for one day, I swear." Brian pleaded with his friend.

"Maybe you should help Brian on this one, Gumball." Darwin insisted.

"I'm going to have to agree with Darwin." says Anais. "After all, Brian is still our friend and the best thing you can do is help him out as much as you can."

Gumball pondered for a moment, thinking what the purple fox and his siblings had just said. The blue feline had his reservation with Brian's well-meaning intentions and he has no idea on how the day will end. Even so, his siblings were right: Brian was still his friend and he needed someone to be with him if things didn't turn out the way he had planned out.

With that in mind, Gumball took a deep breath and turned his attention towards the purple fox, ready to give him his answer.

"Alright Brian, I'll help you out." Gumball said to his friend. "After all, we're friends."

"That's all I needed to hear." says Brian, relieved that he was getting some help.

Right now, though, he and his friends needed to get back to their classes.

* * *

The school bell rang for the last time at Elmore Academy, as the front gate automatically opened on cue, allowing the students to leave the premises. Among the students was Scorch, pushing forward towards the gate, hoping to spot Rhonda and make sure that she was there to listen how he felt about her.

'_Alright Scorch; don't mess this one up just like the rest of the days.'_ the fire humanoid thought, as he tried to build up enough confidence to tell Rhonda he loved her.

As Scorch made his way to the school gate, he managed to spot Rhonda outside of school grounds, apparently talking to someone. It didn't take the fire humanoid long to realize who his secret crush was talking to and already, he could feel the temperature inside his body rising up.

"What are you up to this time?" Scorch asked himself, before he quickly made his way towards Rhonda. As soon as he got there, he was surprised to see another individual standing right next to Brian. Even though he didn't know him personally, the fire humanoid recognized the blue feline as one of the purple fox's friend when he participated in the school exchange program. What is the meaning of this? Furthermore, what are those two up to and why?

As Scorch tried to ponder about this, Rhonda, Brian and Gumball noticed that the fire humanoid was right behind them, prompting the mouse to call out to him.

"Hey Scorch, it's good to see you."

"Oh, hey Rhonda." Scorch greeted, his cheeks slightly blushing. "Sorry if I have to ask you this, but could you explain what's going on?"

"Brian just called me during lunch break and asked me if I was fine if he brought a friend with him after school." Rhonda replied.

"Oh, is that so?" asked Scorch, his right eye twitching with irritation, dismay by what he just heard.

'_I don't believe this! That purple fox got Rhonda's phone number?!_

"Scorch, are you alright?" asked Rhonda, prompting the fire humanoid to focus his attention back to the mouse.

"Oh sorry, I was thinking about something else." Scorch half-heartedly replied. "Anyway, are you planning to hang with these two for today?"

Before Rhonda could say anything, Brian immediately answered the question in her place, hoping that Scorch would stick around and listen to what he had to say.

"Actually, Rhonda was hoping if you could join with us for today." Brian explained.

"Do you really mean that?" Scorch questioned the purple fox, somewhat suspicious by his claim.

"Brian meant every word about it." Gumball insisted. "Look, I know what you're thinking and I assure you, he's nothing like Ivan."

"Gumball's right…" Rhonda began. "All Brian wanted to do is to be friends with you. At the very least, give him a fair chance, Scorch."

Scorch continued to look at Brian and Gumball, still not convinced by the latter's claim and still stare at the former with serious intent. At the same time, he didn't want to upset Rhonda and that was the last thing he wanted to do. If it'll make her feel better, he'll give the boys a chance to prove their worth, especially Brian.

With his mind made up, the fire humanoid turned his attention to Brian, ready to give him his answer.

"Alright Brian, I'll accept your invitation." Scorch said to the fox. "But I'm only doing this just so you can prove me that you're nothing like Ivan."

"That's all I needed to hear." said Brian, happy to hear that the fire humanoid agreed to hang out. He just hoped that today won't end on a bad note between them.

* * *

After several minutes of discussion, Brian, Gumball, Rhonda and Scorch agreed to hang out at the Elmore Mall and as the four would have expected, the area was quite packed, filled with several shoppers walking all over the place, heading from one shop after another, buying who knows what. Despite the mall being packed, the four nevertheless decided to go through with their plans.

"Alright you guys, any ideas on where we should head out first?" Brian asked the group.

"With this many people, it's going to be impossible to find a place to hang out." Gumball replied.

"I agree with the pussycat on this one." says Scorch, irking the blue feline in the process. "It'll be a miracle if we manage to find somewhere to go to."

"Don't worry about it you guys…" Rhonda began. "We'll find somewhere to hang out in the mall. Right now, we'll just walk around until we find what we're looking for."

The boys nodded their heads in agreement and with that, the four began to walk around the mall, hoping to find something to do or find a place of interest to hang out. But in the midst of their walk, the four suddenly stopped dead in their tracks and they soon found themselves confronted by three familiar faces, much to the dismay of Gumball, Brian and Rhonda, while Scorch looked at them with annoyance.

"Hello furball." Tina greeted as she bare her fangs. "Fancy meeting you and your friends here."

"Yeah, what are you knuckleheads doing here?" asked Jamie. "And who's your hotheaded friend?"

"Why don't you get closer and find out for yourself?" Scorch sarcastically asked, before he reared his head towards Jamie's, his temperature starting to rise up.

"Calm down Scorch, we're here to have fun, not start a fight with anyone." said Brian, as he ran in-between the fire humanoid and the hybrid.

"Brian's right, Scorch…" Gumball began. "The last thing any of us want is to cause trouble in a place like this."

Scorch continued to stare at Jamie, all the while pondering about his next move. But then, after realizing that Rhonda is with them, the fire humanoid reluctantly calmed down, as the temperature from his body lowered, before backing off from the hybrid.

"Alright, I'll stop, but only because I don't want to ruin anyone's day." said Scorch. "But don't think that you and your buddies will be lucky next time."

"Your wish is my command, hothead." Jamie mockingly agreed, before she and her friends walked away, laughing their heads off, as the fire humanoid could simmer in response, annoyed by the hybrid's remark.

"Scorch, it's alright. They're gone already." Rhonda calmed the fire humanoid. "Just let it go and move on."

"You're right Rhonda…" Scorch began, controlling the temperature in his body. "I shouldn't let that get the best of me. Thank you."

"Don't mention it." says Rhonda. "But the one you should thank is Brian. He was the one who defused the situation."

The moment Rhonda mentioned the purple fox's name, Scorch could feel the temperature in his body rising, dismay that his crush had brought up Brian in their conversation. His behavior didn't go unnoticed, as Gumball cautiously approached the fire humanoid.

"Dude, you need to relax. You don't need to overreact like that."

In response, the fire humanoid shot a glance at the blue feline, startling Gumball in the process. After staring at the blue feline for a minute or so, Scorch took a deep breath and calm down once more, reducing the rising temperature from his body.

"Sorry Gumball. I shouldn't have reacted like that." Scorch apologized, rubbing his head sheepishly.

"It's all good, man." Gumball said to the fire humanoid, accepting his apology. "Anyway, I think we should go somewhere else, this place is about to get packed."

Everyone in the group agreed with the blue feline's assessment and with that, the four headed for the exit, hoping to find a better location to hang out.

* * *

After leaving the mall, the four decided to take a break and head out to Joyful Burger for a quick meal. Once Gumball, Brian, Rhonda and Scorch made their orders, the four managed to find a spot and decided that the best way to pass the time was talking about each other.

"So Brian, what was Folsom like when you're living there?" Rhonda asked the purple fox.

"It's just like any other place in California." Brian answered honestly, slightly chuckling and rubbing his head sheepishly. "But I still liked being here."

'_I bet it is.'_ Scorch thought, irked that the purple fox was behaving like that in front of his crush.

"So Rhonda, how did someone like you managed to attend in such a prestigious place like Elmore Academy?" Gumball asked the mouse.

"My dad managed to get me a scholarship when it became available. That and my athletic skills were enough to convince Principal Pauline to allow me in." Rhonda replied.

"That makes sense." said Brian, as he always wondered why someone like Rhonda would be in a place like Elmore Academy to begin with.

"I thought it was that obvious." Scorch nonchalantly spoke.

"Scorch!" Rhonda scolded the fire humanoid.

"Sorry Rhonda, I didn't mean it like that." The fire humanoid apologized, a bit embarrassed by his comment.

"It's all good, Scorch. I wasn't aware of it myself." says Brian. "Anyway, I'll go and see if our orders are ready."

With that, the purple fox got out of his seat and made his way to the counter, leaving just Gumball, Rhonda and Scorch on their table, prompting the fire humanoid to ask Gumball a question of his own.

"So Gumball, how did you end up meeting Brian to begin with?"

"Oh, that's simple Scorch…" Gumball began. "I befriended Brian on his first day at Elmore Junior High, though I almost got him in trouble, but that's another story. But believe me Scorch, Brian's definitely a good person."

"That's all for now and thank you Gumball." Scorch said to the blue feline, as he reconsidered his view of the purple fox.

"Alright Scorch, it's you turn now." Rhonda pointed out. "Why don't you tell Gumball about what yourself?"

"Are you sure about that Rhonda?" asked Scorch, a bit reluctant to reveal some of his personal information.

"Don't worry about it man, just be honest about it." Gumball insisted.

"Alright, if you say so…" Scorch began, despite hesitation on his part. "You see-"

"Alright you guys, I got our meals." Brian called out, unknowingly interrupting the fire humanoid, as the purple fox was making his way towards his friends.

But halfway towards the table, Brian accidentally stepped on a discarded hamburger, causing the purple fox to trip forward, sending most of the meals on the tray flying towards his friends. Gumball and Rhonda ducked, managing to avoid the food, but Scorch was not so fortunate and before long, he found himself completely covered in hamburgers and soda.

"Sorry about that Scorch. I didn't mean to." Brian profoundly apologized to the fire humanoid.

Scorch, however, didn't respond to the purple fox's apology and instead angrily glared at him, as the temperature from his body rose steadily, getting redder with each second, infuriated that Brian's own clumsiness made him look like a complete fool in front of Rhonda, prompting him to take his reconsideration back.

Before the fire humanoid could do anything else, Gumball, sensing that things were about to get ugly, managed to confront Scorch, hoping to defuse the situation as quickly as possible.

"Dude, you need to chill out. Brian didn't mean to do that. Look, I'll help you get cleaned up, but only if you calm down."

Despite hesitation on his part, Scorch complied with the blue feline's demand, as the fire humanoid took a deep breath and calming himself down once more, the temperature decreasing each second, before both boys head to the restroom to clean up.

"Brian, are you alright?" Rhonda asked the purple fox, as she helped him to regain his composure.

"I'm fine Rhonda." Brian replied, even though in the back of his head, today wasn't going out the way he had planned out.

'_Darn! This is going to be a lot tougher than I thought! I have to find a way to make up for what I did.'_

* * *

Once the fire humanoid got cleaned up, Brian suggested just heading out to the park and playing a game of basketball. Even though Scorch was becoming increasingly annoyed by the purple fox's presence, he restrained himself for the moment and agreed with the others and headed out to the park. Before long, all four were playing against one another and Scorch was starting to forget about what happened minutes earlier, as he was having fun for the first time this afternoon.

"Alright Scorch, heads up!" Brian called out, before he passed the basketball to the fire humanoid.

Not paying any attention to the purple fox, the basketball promptly hit Scorch on the head, allowing Gumball to grab the ball right out from under his nose and began to dribble his way towards the other side of the court. Recovering from the unexpected blow, the fire humanoid followed in pursuit and before he knew it, Rhonda was following with him, much to his joy.

'_Maybe this day might not be so bad after all.'_ Scorch happily thought.

As the fire humanoid was in his own little world, Gumball managed to make it through to the other side of the basketball court, ready to make a shot at the hoop.

'_Alright, you can do this.'_ Gumball thought to himself, before he shot the ball towards the hoop.

Unfortunately for the blue feline, Gumball threw the basketball too hard and not only did it miss its mark, its bounce far away from the court and right towards the other side of the park.

"Don't worry about it, Gumball. I'll go get it." said Rhonda, before she dashed away, leaving just Gumball, Brian and Scorch on the basketball court.

"So Scorch, how are you feeling?" Brian asked the fire humanoid, as the purple fox cautiously approached him.

"To be honest, I'm actually better now." Scorch replied. "You know, maybe you're not such a bad guy after all, despite what happened."

"Don't mention it." says Brian. "I'm just glad to see that you're loosened up a bit."

"Just out of curiosity, how did you know that Rhonda was one of Elmore Academy's athletes?" asked Scorch, realizing that the purple fox didn't seem that too surprised to see Rhonda's skills.

"Oh, that's simple Scorch…" Brian began. "It began just a month ago when we started hanging out with one another."

"Hanging…out?" Scorch asked with incredulity, his right eye twitching in annoyance and the temperature in his body slowly rising.

"Yeah, it did felt like a very long time, but we've been hanging out at the park almost every afternoon." Brian continued on.

"Is that so?" the fire humanoid questioned the purple fox; irked that Brian was talking about it so casually and the temperature within continued to increase.

"It's true Scorch. In fact…"

While Brian continued on with what he and Rhonda do together whenever they're hanging out, all Scorch could do is just listening to the purple fox's every word, all the while becoming increasingly agitated. How could someone like him be hanging out with his crush just like that? How dare he get close to her, acting so friendly and nice like it was no big deal! It should have been him that's supposed to be with his crush, not this clown!

"Dude, are you alright?" Gumball asked Scorch with uncertainty, as he noticed the fire humanoid's erratic behavior.

"Yeah, why are you acting like that?" asked Brian.

Before either Gumball or Brian knew what was about to happen, Scorch suddenly burst into flames, exploding like some sort of firecrackers, which soon increased in size and mass and before long, it took on a distinctive humanoid shape and angrily stared at the boys, leaving the duo utterly terrified, as they held onto one another.

"Brian, what's happening?!" Gumball shouted.

"I don't know, I'm just surprised to see this as you are!" Brian replied.

"I can't believe I almost considered you a friend, Brian!" Scorch yelled at the purple fox. "Just when I thought I got you all wrong, I knew it was too good to be true!"

"Scorch, just tell me what's-"

"Don't even try to talk me out of it, furball! I know you love Rhonda the moment I saw you with her three weeks ago!"

"Dude, if you would just-"

"No, I want you to listen right here and now! Do me a favor and stay away from Elmore Academy and from MY girl!"

"Guys, what's going on?!" a certain mouse demanded.

The moment Rhonda spoke out of the blue, everyone, including Scorch, stopped dead in their tracks, before the fire humanoid reverted back to his original form and slowly turned around saw the mouse standing right behind them, looking at Scorch with astonishment. It didn't take him too long to realize that she had heard everything.

'_I don't believe this!'_ Scorch thought, his face turned bright red with embarrassment and without warning, the fire humanoid ran out of the park, far away from Gumball, Brian and especially Rhonda.

"Guys, what happened? Why was Scorch mad?" Rhonda asked Gumball and Brian, wondering what had occurred in her absence.

"I don't know Rhonda. Scorch just lost his cool and literally blew up on our faces." Gumball replied.

"All I do know is that in the end, Scorch still hates me." Brian gloomily replied, dismay how the day turned out.

"Don't say that, Brian. I'm sure you'll get another chance." assured Rhonda.

"She's right, Brian, you'll eventually get on his good side in time." Gumball agreed with the mouse.

"I'm hope you guys are right." was all Brian could say, disappointed that today had ended rather badly, all the while thinking of Scorch's feelings for Rhonda.

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 31-The Fire: Part 2_

_Determined to find out more about Scorch, Brian, along with Rhonda and the Watterson siblings, decided to pay him a visit at his place._

**Tidbits**

**-I wanted to thank Silent Arrancar for creating Scorch and as such, he gets full credit for his creation.**

**-I also wanted to thank Gummypuss and wiseguy1107 for their suggestions on this chapter.**

**-For Mr. Dull, I had envisioned Ben Stein voicing him, due to his deadpanned mannerism, but also for the fact that he actually taught Economics himself.**

**-For Scorch, Silent Arrancar suggested Tony Oliver, who voiced Ulquiorra from Bleach.**

**Thanks to everyone who had continued to read "The Newcomer" and I'll be seeing ya next chapter!**


	31. The Fire: Part 2

**Once again, I want to thank Silent Arrancar for creating his OC for this story.**

**That said, please enjoy this chapter!**

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 31-The Fire: Part 2

The next day at Elmore Junior High, Brian, along with Gumball, told Darwin and Anais what had occurred yesterday. Once the boys finished their story, both siblings were understandably surprised to hear how the day had ended.

"I'm sorry to hear that this Scorch fellow still hates you." Darwin said to Brian, sympathizing with his situation.

"I appreciate the comfort, Darwin, but it still changes nothing." Brian said in a tone of sadness.

"Don't beat yourself too much Brian…" Anais began. "Maybe the next time you meet him you'll be able to sort things out with him."

"Anais had a point, Brian." Gumball agreed with the child prodigy. "There's still time to make amends with Scorch."

"That's easier said than done, Gumball." Brian spoke bluntly. "I don't know how Scorch will react if we cross paths again. Making things more complicated is the fact that we both happen to love the same girl."

"Oh, that's right." says Gumball, rubbing his head sheepishly when he recalled yesterday's incident.

"Don't be in such a rush, Brian. I know you'll find a way to get on Scorch's good side." Darwin assured the purple fox.

"I hope you're right Darwin." says Brian, still uncertain about that last statement, as he and his friends made their way to their next class.

* * *

The day at Elmore Academy went like any other day for Rhonda: getting ready for the most difficult tasks in each class she attended and practice her sports every lunch break. But today, the yellow mouse felt a bit distracted, especially what happened yesterday at the park.

Ever since she heard Scorch's proclamation of love for her, Rhonda wanted to confront the fire humanoid what he meant by that last statement. Unfortunately for the mouse, Scorch had been avoiding her all day, unwilling to talk to her like he always had. Rhonda couldn't blame him for what happened, but the mouse hope that the fire humanoid would come around and talk to her like they always do. After all, they were friends and she hope he wasn't going to ignore her after what happened.

'_Where are you Scorch? We really need to talk.'_

On cue, Rhonda heard a loud banging not far from her, prompting the mouse to rush towards the loud noise. When she reached her destination, she was dismay to find Ivan, along with his gang, confronting Scorch, the latter clearly not in a good mood with having to face the red bear.

"Well, you have some nerve to behave like that in front of Rhonda." Ivan remarked with a look of displeasure.

"That is none of your concern, Neanderthal." Scorch remarked at the red bear. "Besides, why are you and your buddies so concern about this?"

"We've been seeing you all day avoiding Rhonda like a plague. That isn't like you at all." Joey pointed out.

"Yeah, it's way out of your character and not nice at all." says Lloyd.

"Look Scorch, all we're trying to say is whatever it's going on, you might want to tell her." Ray insisted.

"Well, I have another tip of advice for you dunces…" Scorch began. "Stay the freak out of my business before you regret it."

Before Ivan and his gang knew what happened, the temperature from the fire humanoid dramatically increased, prompting the four to quickly back off. Rhonda, watching from a distance, became very worried that things are about to get very ugly.

'_I have to stop this before things gets out of control.'_

But before the mouse had a chance to make her move, a certain school principal unexpectedly made her presence known to the five boys, prompting Rhonda to back down, knowing all too well what Principal Pauline is capable of.

"Am I interrupting anything boys?" asked Athena.

"N-no ma'am, we were j-j-just leaving right n-now." Ivan fearfully insisted "Isn't the right, you g-guys?"

Joey, Lloyd and Ray nodded their heads in agreement, hoping it was enough to please the great white shark, before all four passed by the school principal, disappearing around the corner, leaving Scorch on his own, prompting Athena to confront the fire humanoid.

"Is there anything you want to add, Brandon Steele?"

"No ma'am, not one bit." Scorch sarcastically responded, before he also passed by Principal Pauline, as well as Rhonda, not bothering to say a single word to her.

"That kid isn't right in the head." Athena remarked, before she turned around and made her way back to the office.

Rhonda, meanwhile, could only shake her head, disbelief that the fire humanoid was becoming increasingly rebellious. At this rate, Scorch will be expelled from the academy. That was one scenario she hoped wouldn't become a reality and she could really use some help.

* * *

After the day came to an end at Elmore Junior High, Brian, along with the Watterson siblings, decided to make their way to Elmore Academy, hoping that today would turn out much better than yesterday. The purple fox was just glad that his friends were willing to accompany him on his way to the academy; as far as he was concerned, he was worried how his next encounter with Scorch will turn out.

"Thanks for coming with me guys. To be honest, I'm really nervous about seeing Scorch again."

"Don't mention it, Brian." said Gumball. "We're always here to help a friend out."

"Besides, we really want to make sure that nothing bad is going to happen." Darwin informed the purple fox.

"But right now, we should really meet up with Rhonda. Maybe she knows a thing or two about Scorch." Anais pointed out.

As the four continued with their conversation, both Brian and the Watterson siblings eventually made their way to Elmore Academy and spotted Rhonda waiting right near the school gate, but right away, they noticed that the mouse was rather unhappy, much to their curiosity.

"Is everything alright, Rhonda?" asked Brian, as he and his friends approached the mouse.

"Oh, hey you guys." Rhonda greeted. "Sorry if I'm not so upbeat today."

"Why the long face?" Gumball questioned the mouse, prompting Rhonda to take a deep breathe, before launching an explanation of the issue.

"I've been trying to talk to Scorch about what happened yesterday, but every time we cross path, he just kept avoiding me. I understand that he's quite sensitive about yesterday, but I wanted to assure him that I was more than willing to try to understand his actions."

"You must really care about Scorch." Darwin noted.

"He's one of the few people I befriended when I first came to Elmore Academy and I want to let him know that we're still friends, despite what happened." Rhonda explained.

"Maybe if we show up at Scorch's place, perhaps it will be enough to convince him to hear us out." Anais suggested.

"She's right, Rhonda. We'll just pay him a visit and just hope that things don't turn ugly." Brian said to the mouse. "Out of curiosity, where does Scorch live?"

Rhonda hesitated for a moment, unsure how to answer the purple fox's question. She was worried how her friends will react should they know where Scorch lives. On the plus side, this might be their only shot to confront the fire humanoid and hopefully hash things out between them.

With her mind made up, Rhonda turned to the four, ready to give them her answer.

"Alright, I'll tell you where Scorch live, but you guys have to promise me that you'll keep your guards up if we head out to his place."

"Sure Rhonda, we promise." Brian assured the concerned mouse.

"Well, you see…" Rhonda began.

* * *

Downtown Elmore is one of the poorest areas in the town and by far the least friendly place to visit, especially for outsiders. Anyone that did visit Downtown Elmore had to keep their guards up at all cost, as the area's residents don't warm up to any unfamiliar faces right away; some would keep a far distance from said visitors and others would have ulterior motives to befriend them, mostly for money or just for kicks.

When Rhonda told them about this place, both Brian and the Watterson siblings were stunned to find out that Scorch lived in such a place. At the same time, it would explain why the fire humanoid was always so grouchy to begin with. Even so, the four insisted to go through with the visit and along with Rhonda, all five made their way on the transit bus and eventually arrived to their destination later that day.

"I'll have to be honest, Rhonda…" Brian began, as he, his friends and the mouse got off the bus. "This place really gives me the creep."

"I'm going to side with Brian on this one." Gumball agreed. "Just being in this place gives me the spooks."

"I know this isn't an ideal area, but this is where Scorch has lived for most of his life." says Rhonda.

"Let's just find Scorch's home and get this over with." Darwin spoke out, as he felt a cold chill crawling down his spine.

"I couldn't agree more." says Anais.

With that, the five walked around the neighborhood, all the while keeping a close eye on some of the residents living here. The residents, in turn, were keeping an eye on the kids with suspicious glance, making the group incredibly nervous.

'_Whoa! These people really don't want us here at all.'_ Brian fearfully thought.

As the purple fox continued to mind his own business, he suddenly bumped into some sort of hard object, causing him to fall down to the ground. As his friends came by to help him back to his feet, Brian looked up and noticed an older individual, a bulldog, staring directly at the fox with a look of irritation.

"Sorry about that sir. I didn't know where I was going."

"Maybe next time you should look where you going!" the bulldog rudely shouted at Brian, before the older individual resumed his walking, unwilling to apologize for his behavior.

"Talk about being rude." Gumball commented, displeased by the bulldog's behavior.

"Sad but true, Gumball. In Downtown Elmore, everyone around here is nothing more than shady characters. It's very rare to find anyone who can be considered trustworthy." Rhonda explained.

"That still was no excuse for what that bulldog did back there." Anais pointed out. "The least he could have done was apologized."

"I think we should be worried about who else we might bumped into." Darwin fearfully spoke. "I mean, who knows what kind of person we might end up meeting next."

"Darwin's right. We should stick together and just focus on locating Scorch's house." said Brian.

Nodding their heads in agreement, the five resumed on their walk once more, trying to avoid and ignore most of the residents' glares and passing by several run-down stores along the way, which only increased the discomfort within the group. The sooner they locate Scorch and his place, the sooner they could get out of this neighborhood. But as the group made their way past an alley, a voice unexpectedly spoke out of nowhere.

"What's a bunch of little tykes like you doing here?"

Brian, Rhonda and the Watterson siblings stopped in their track and turned to the direction of the voice in the alley. Before they knew it, three figures showed up out of the blue from the alley: one was a tall and gangly stork, with a bright red Mohawk hairstyle, the other was a short ferret with pink fur and the last individual was an average-sized gecko with a nose ring. All three of them wore punk fashion style clothing and had menacing looks on their faces, which left the five feeling very uncomfortable.

"Look, we're kind of busy right now and we don't have time for this. So please, just let us go and will mind your business." Gumball tried to reason with them.

"Don't be in such a rush, kiddo." the gecko spoke with a cockney accent. "After all, we just met you tykes."

"What do you want from us?" Darwin asked with fear in his voice.

"That depends, fish boy." says the tall, lanky stork. "Just hands us whatever money you have and we'll be on our merry."

"And if we refused?" asked Brian, arching an eyebrow with suspicion.

In response to the purple fox's question, the tall, lanky stork promptly grabbed Brian by the collar and before he knew it, he found himself staring into the stork's eyes.

"Let's just say that you'll get a beating of a life time." the pink ferret responded

"Hey, leave Brian alone!" Rhonda shouted, prompting the gecko to shove her on the ground.

"Stay out of this if you know what's good for you." the gecko snarled.

"Is that how you always treat a girl?" asked a certain fire humanoid.

The gecko, along with his pals, stopped what they were doing and noticed Scorch right in front of them, staring at them with a look of displeasure on his face.

"What do you want kiddo? Can't you see we're busy at the moment?" the gecko asked the fire humanoid.

"I don't care what you and your buddies are doing…" Scorch began, as he slowly approached the gecko. "All I do know is that I see a couple of punks harassing a group of kids for no other reason than sheer amusement."

"You've got some nerve to talk to us like that." The gecko spoke with annoyance. "Give us one good reason why we should stop."

In response to the gecko's last statement, Scorch headbutted him directly in the face, breaking his nose in the process. As the gecko lied on the ground recoiling in pain, the stork and the ferret stared at the scene with shock and awe, both distracted as Gumball and Darwin tackled them on the ground, freeing Brian in the process.

"Are you alright, man?" asked Gumball, as he and his brother helped the purple fox up on his feet.

"I'm fine, thanks to you guys." Brian replied. "What about Rhonda? How is she?"

"Don't worry, I'm fine Brian." Rhonda assured the worried fox, as Anais and Scorch helped her to regain her composure.

Brian sighed with relief, before quickly focusing his attention on the gecko and his friends, all lying on the ground and in pain, as they slowly managed to get up on their feet and quickly ran back to the alleyway, disappearing within the shadows.

'_That was a close one.'_ Brian thought, before him, Gumball and Darwin regrouped with Rhonda, Anais and Scorch.

"Thanks for the help Scorch." Rhonda said to the fire humanoid.

"Don't mention it." Scorch spoke back, rubbing his head sheepishly. "Anyway, what are you doing here? And for that matter, what are him and his friends doing here?"

"Well…" Rhonda began. "You see…"

* * *

After Rhonda explained the entire situation to the fire humanoid, Scorch was understandably stunned that she, as well as Brian and his friends, came all the way to Downtown Elmore just to find him, hoping they could talk about yesterday's incident. As much as the fire humanoid wanted to ignore it, he soon realized that he might as well give them a chance and lead the five to an apartment complex not far from where they were.

"Wow, so this is where you live." Brian commented, as he and his friends are lead by Scorch inside the building.

"Don't get the wrong idea…" Scorch began, as he leada the five up the stairs. "The only reason I'm doing this is just so you, Rhonda and Gumball wanted to talk to me, that's all."

"Wow, you weren't kidding when you say he had a temper." Darwin whispered to Gumball's ears, prompting Anais to nudge him on the shoulder.

After heading up a few more flights of stairs, Scorch eventually led the five up to the third floor, before all six found themselves on a door labeled 'Room 305'. The fire humanoid then pulled a key from his pocket and promptly unlocked the door, allowing them to come inside the room.

Upon entering Scorch's place, the five couldn't believe the kind of place he lived in. For living in such an unfriendly area of town, the fire humanoid's apartment room was very cozy and modest and aside from the typical layout, it felt more like home compare to the exterior of the apartment complex.

As the five continued to survey the living arrangement in Room 305, Brian noticed several picture frames hanging above the couches. From what the purple fox could make out where he was standing, it was clear that they were family photos, some consisting of two similar fire humanoids, only the older female was a lighter shade of blue and the older male had some few wrinkles and a brighter shade of orange. The man in the other picture frames looked remarkably similar to Scorch, though slightly taller and older than him, along with an older female water humanoid right besides him.

'_They look like good people based on those pictures.'_ Brian thought.

"This is such a nice place you have here, Scorch." Anais commented.

"It's not much, but it's better than nothing." said Scorch. "You and Darwin make yourselves comfortable while I'll talk to Gumball, Brian and Rhonda in my room. Don't worry, my aunt and uncle doesn't mind visitors."

Anais and Darwin complied with the fire humanoid, as the two siblings decided to watch some TV, while Scorch had Gumball, Brian and Rhonda to follow him in his bedroom. Once the trio made their way inside his bedroom, the fire humanoid closed the door and sat on his bed, staring at the trio with serious intent.

"Alright guys, I know you have questions, so I'll cut to the chase." Scorch informed the trio. "Obviously, you three wanted to talk to me what happened at the park yesterday."

"Well, of course." says Rhonda. "That's why we're here to begin with."

"Just so you know man, we just want to clear a few things up." Brian insisted.

"At the very least, just promise us that you won't overreact like last time." Gumball said to the fire humanoid.

"…Fine, I'll try my best to stay calm." Scorch reluctantly promised.

"That's good to know." Brian said with relief. "Look, we just want to know why you're always so mad all the time."

"What do you mean by that?" Scorch asked the fox, as the temperature from his body rose up.

"Scorch!" Rhonda scolded, prompting the fire humanoid to calm down enough to lower the temperature from his body.

"Sorry, that was an accident." Scorch apologized, looking down on the floor. "It's just that, life seems to be unfair with me almost every day."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Gumball, arching an eyebrow in curiosity.

"What I mean is that ever since grade school, I'm always getting picked on just for coming from a poor neighborhood." Scorch started to explain. "It doesn't help that my parents passed away when I was in kindergarten or the fact that I was born with an uncontrollable condition."

'_That makes sense now.'_ Brian thought.

"It's bad enough that I have to deal with all of teasing and taunts during grade school, but I have to deal with it during Elmore Academy, no thanks to Ivan. But then, everything changed when I met you Rhonda."

Rhonda was surprised to hear this from the fire humanoid. While she was aware of his faults, she was stunned to know that she had some sort of influence on Scorch's life.

"You were the first person who never poked fun of me because of my issues. The moment we crossed paths, all you wanted to do was be friends with me and up until that point, I thought such a thing would never happen."

"Scorch…" Rhonda began.

"I'm not done yet." the fire humanoid spoke. "Ever since we met, I've always cherished your friendship and I thought it would never end. But when I saw you with Brian the other day, I was crushed. The fact that you two were hanging out almost every afternoon only upset me."

"That would explain your behavior towards me." Brian commented.

"At the time, I didn't know you that much. I didn't know what kind of person you are or if you were like Ivan. I guess I just overreacted and I allowed that to get the best of me at the park yesterday."

As soon as Scorch made that last statement, the fire humanoid took a long, deep breath, before resuming his speech once more.

"So yeah, that's why I'm always in such a bad mood. I hope you three could understand the kind of person I am."

Once the fire humanoid finished telling everything about himself, Gumball, Brian and Rhonda looked at him, amazed by the details he had just described. After the trio looked at one another, they all decided that it was their turn to talk with Scorch.

"Scorch, there's no reason to be mad to begin with…" Rhonda began. "I'll admit that what happened to you in grade school was bad, but you need to let go of the past and move on."

"Rhonda's right." Gumball agreed with the mouse. "You claim that you have got nothing and yet, you have an aunt and uncle who willing raised you when your parents passed away. Be grateful that you still have a family."

"Plus, the fact that you made your to Elmore Academy is quite an accomplishment." Brian pointed out. "To be honest, I'm sort of jealous that your aunt and uncle are together."

"What do you mean by that?" Scorch questioned the purple fox, arching an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Do you know where my uncle is?" Brian answered in the form of a question.

"Um…no?" was Scorch's answer, as he didn't know what else to say.

"Same here..." Brian started to explain. "Six years ago, my uncle just left my aunt without any explanation. Since then, I haven't seen or heard anything from him. As far as I'm concerned, he broke my aunt's heart."

"What's your point?" asked Scorch.

"My point is that be grateful with what you have." Brian replied. "Otherwise, you're just being selfish."

Once the purple fox finished his speech, Scorch sat on his bed, thinking what Brian had just told him. After a few minutes, the fire humanoid just took a deep breath and looked down on the floor, realizing that Brian was right: he was being ungrateful.

"Scorch, you don't have to be mad at all the time." Rhonda said to the fire humanoid. "Don't let such emotion get the best of you. I know that deep down, you're a good person and I know you'll overcome it in time."

Scorch looked at the mouse, touched that, in spite of what happened at the park, she was willing to offer words of comfort for him.

"Just think what we just said Scorch and hopefully you realize that you do have everything you need, even if life isn't how you always imagined it to be." Gumball informed the fire humanoid.

With that said, Gumball, Brian and Rhonda left Scorch's bedroom and gave the fire humanoid some time alone to think about their conversation.

* * *

**The next day…**

The entire day of Elmore Junior High went by relatively peaceful, before the school bell rang for the end of the day, signaling for the students to leave until tomorrow. Among the students were Gumball, Darwin, Anais and Brian, having just finished their classes. They were thankful that Scorch's aunt and uncle were very generous to drive them, as well as Rhonda, back to their homes, saving them the trouble of waiting for a transit bus.

But as the four prepared to make plans for the afternoon, a certain young, fire humanoid unexpectedly showed up, much to their surprise.

"Scorch, what's brings you here?" asked Brian.

Scorch didn't answer right away, as the fire humanoid rubbed his head sheepishly, glancing down on the floor. Eventually, after a minute or so, Scorch looked at the purple fox, ready to give him his answer.

"Brian, I just wanted to thank you and your friends the other day. You were right; I shouldn't be ungrateful about everything just because of what happened in the past."

"I'm glad to hear that." says Gumball.

"Same here." Darwin agreed.

"At least you'll keep a better outlook on life from now on." Anais noted.

"Well, I'll do the best as I can." Scorch informed the child prodigy, before he chuckled.

"It's nice to know that you'll be positive from now on." Brian said with a relief.

"Well, after that pep talk last night, I really need to loosen up."

Brian couldn't help but smile, happy that, despite getting off to a rocky start just a couple of days ago, he was able to get on Scorch's good side, as well as managing him to be a much friendlier person.

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 32-The Talent: Part 1_

_Gumball, Darwin, Brian and Penny signed up for the school talent show and formed their own band to compete in it. But the boys soon discovered that Penny is a horrible singer._

**Tidbits**

**-Once again, I wanted to thank Silent Arrancar for creating Scorch. He was a very interesting OC and I hope he would show up in future chapters.**

**-Originally, I was going to introduce Scorch's aunt and uncle, but due to pacing, I have to cut them out. Hopefully in the future, I'll give them a formal introduction.**

**-Just like Elmore Academy, Downtown Elmore is created exclusively for this story.**

**Thanks to everyone who read part 2 of "The Fire" and I'll be seeing ya next chapter!**


	32. The Talent: Part 1

**I wanted to thank wiseguy1107 and Supergogeta14 for their suggestions.**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 32-The Talent: Part 1

It was another day at Elmore Junior High, as every student gathered around at the bulletin board, excited to see what kind of extracurricular activities were going on. As the rest of the students began chatting excitedly with each other, Gumball, Darwin and Brian were walking down the hallway, curious to see so many students gathering in one spot.

"Excuse me…" Brian began, as he tapped on Banana Joe's shoulder. "Sorry for bothering you, but what's going on around here?"

"Haven't you read what's been posted on the bulletin board? The school is hosting a talent show this Saturday and the winner will receive a gold trophy." Banana Joe explained.

"Are you serious, Banana Joe?" asked Gumball, somewhat interested by this information.

"If you don't believe me, check the bulletin board for yourself." Banana Joe replied.

Gumball, Darwin and Brian went to the board to see the information with their own eyes, mostly reading the requirements and rules of the talent show; once they were finished reading the hand-out, the trio couldn't help but be amazed by this. They could envision the glory and recognition they would be receiving the moment they showcased their talents this Saturday.

While Gumball, Darwin and Brian were entranced by their own imagination, a certain antlered peanut showed up just a few inches from the trio, looking at them with confusion written on her face.

"Um, what are you guys doing?" asked Penny, snapping the trio right back into reality.

"Hi Penny." Gumball greeted the antler peanut dreamily. "I didn't notice you there."

"Yeah, we were just looking at the bulletin board about the talent show." explained Brian.

"Are you guys going to participate this Saturday?" Penny asked the boys.

"To be honest, we haven't decided yet." Darwin replied. "What about you, Penny?"

"I don't think I have the time." Penny answered the two-legged fish. "Besides, I'm not so sure I even have a talent to begin with."

As soon as Penny says those words, the antlered peanut found herself being confronted by Gumball once more; only now, there was a serious look on his face, much to her surprise.

"Don't say something like that, Penny. I'm sure you're good at something."

"Gumball, I really appreciate what you're saying and I'm flattered…" Penny began. "Even so, the talent show is only just a few days."

"Sorry to interrupt you guys, but I think I have an answer to our problem." Brian suggested, prompting Gumball, Darwin and Penny to focus their attention on the purple fox. "Let's form a rock band together at my place. Fortunately, my mom has some musical instruments in the garage we can use to practice."

Gumball, Darwin and Penny pondered for a moment, thinking of what Brian had proposed just now. It was very nice of the purple fox to come up with something for the talent show. But then, something just came to their mind.

"Sorry if I asked the obvious, but what song are we going to play?" asked Gumball.

"Now that Gumball mentions it, we need to come up with a very good one if we're going to win the talent show." Darwin pointed.

Brian pondered for a moment, trying to come up with some song that he and his friends could cover for the talent show. But before he could come up with something, Penny managed to speak up, as if she had found the answer to their problem.

"I think I could come up with lyrics for our band."

"Are you sure you can pull it off?" Brian questioned the antlered peanut.

"Of course she can, Brian. I mean, we need to at least give her a chance." Gumball insisted.

"I have to agree with Gumball on this one." said Darwin. "We should check them out before we could go through with it."

Brian thought for a moment, thinking what his friends had pointed out just now. He had to admit, he shouldn't have doubted Penny immediately. After all, this might be an opportunity for the antler peanut to show off any talent she might have.

With that in mind, the purple fox turned to the trio, ready to give them his answer.

"Alright, you guys. It looks like we're all set then. Penny will write the best lyrics, while Gumball, Darwin and I will set up the instruments back in my place."

"Thanks Brian. I'm happy to hear you trust me with this."

"Anything to help out a friend." said Brian.

"Don't worry Penny, as long as we have everything planned out…" Darwin began.

"…Well blow their socks off." Gumball added.

Once everyone agreed on what to do after school, the four went off to Miss Simian's class, hoping to make it on time before they get into trouble.

* * *

After school was done for today, Gumball, Darwin and Penny all met up with Brian at his house, just as they had promised earlier. Thankfully for the purple fox, his mother agreed to lend some of the instruments to them, even setting them up at the garage, saving the four a great amount of time.

"Wow Brian, it was very good of Mrs. O'Quinn to help us." Gumball commented, as he grabbed an electric guitar.

"We should thank her after we're done practicing." says Darwin, heading towards the drum sets.

"I couldn't agree more, Darwin." said Brian, before he focused his attention to Penny. "Penny, do you have the lyrics ready?"

"I did the best I could with It." she replied, before she handed the lyrics to the purple fox. "It's not much, but it'll have to do."

Brian, along with Gumball and Darwin, looked at the lyrics that Penny had wrote. After a minute or two, the boys focused their attention back at the antlered peanut, looking very amazed and ecstatic.

"Penny, this is really good."

"Yeah, it looks very amazing."

"I'm just surprised that this was all written down during school."

"You guys really think it's good?" asked an astonished Penny.

"Sure Penny, we really mean it." Gumball insisted. "We can definitely used them for the talent show this weekend. In fact, you can even be our lead singer for our band."

"I don't know about that Gumball." Penny spoke with uncertainty.

"Don't be so sure of it until you give it a shot." said Brian, as he grabbed an electric bass.

"Besides, we're just going to practice and who knows, you might actually be a natural." Darwin said to the antlered peanut.

"Well…alright, I'll give it a go." Penny complied, as she made her way to the microphone stand.

After the boys finished prepping their instruments and Penny finished adjusting the microphone, all four kids were ready to practice.

"Alright then, let's do this!" Brian declared, before him, Gumball and Darwin began to play on their instruments, giving Penny enough time to sing on the microphone.

_I remember when I saw you  
you got me in the heart  
Just like cupid's dart  
I hope you feel this way too.  
I just wanted to ask  
do you want to go on a date.  
I think that'd be great.  
I'd be up for the task.  
Just say the word  
I'll be there  
Faster than a hare  
I won't be deterred.  
We should be together,  
You're as pure as a dove  
I'd give nothing but kindness and love  
We'd be like birds of a feather._

The moment Penny began to sing, Gumball, Darwin and Brian suddenly stopped playing their instruments, their bodies cringing as she horribly sang from one lyric after another. It sounded like a vinyl record being terribly scratched one too many times.

'_I take that back! Penny's not a good singer at all!'_ Brian thought, trying to ignore the antlered peanut's singing as best as he could.

After Penny sang the last note, the antler peanut enthusiastically turned to the boys for their honest opinion, especially Gumball, oblivious to the plight she had unknowingly brought onto them.

"Well, what do you guys think?"

While Brian and Darwin looked at one another with uncertainty on how to respond to the antlered peanut's question, Gumball, on the other hand, hesitated for a moment. As much as he wanted to tell her his honest opinion, the blue feline could only imagine the scenario that would played out should Penny, his crush, learned how he truly felt about her singing.

* * *

"_Penny, I need to be honest with you…"_ Gumball began. _"You're a very horrible singer."_

"_I see, Gumball."_ said Penny.

"_So, are we cool?"_ Gumball sheepishly asked.

Before the blue feline knew what happened next, the antlered peanut walked towards him, clearly peeved by his words and without warning, promptly slapped him on the face, leaving a red mark in the process.

"_You can forget about me becoming your girlfriend! I don't ever want to talk to you again!"_

With that, Penny turned around and left a shocked Gumball down on his knees, horrified to hear his crush's answer.

"_Penny, come back! I was just being honest, I swear!"_

* * *

As fear and anxiety expressed itself on Gumball's face, Penny continued to look at the boys, still waiting for a response from them.

"Well, aren't you guys going to give me an honest opinion on my singing?"

For a while, there was a long, awkward silence in the garage, with none of the boys unable to come up with an answer. Finally, Brian decided that the antlered peanut needed to know the honest truth.

"Well Penny…" Brian began. "About your singing, it was-"

"So good, that we were just left speechless to come up with any answer." Gumball suddenly spoke, cutting off the purple fox. "Isn't that right, you guys?"

Both Brian and Darwin looked at Gumball, surprised to hear what the blue feline had just said to Penny. At the same time, the duo also noticed the look of desperation on his face and with much reluctance; the two nodded their heads in agreement, much to Gumball's relief.

Penny, for her part, looked at the trio with suspicion, amazed that it took them that long to come up with a response. Eventually, the antlered peanut couldn't help but smile, glad to finally hear a response from them.

"I'm glad to know that you three loved it." Penny ecstatically said. "Anyway, I have to get back home and finished up my homework."

With that, Penny left the garage and walked her way home, leaving only Gumball, Darwin and Brian on their own, prompting both the purple fox and the two-legged fish to looked at their friend, stunned by his earlier actions.

"I don't know what that was about, Gumball..." Darwin began. "But that was the worst singing I ever heard in my life."

"I know Darwin and you're right, Penny couldn't sing." Gumball confessed.

"So, why did you lie to her to begin with?" Brian questioned the blue feline, prompting Gumball to take a deep breath, before he explained to the purple fox.

"I just didn't want to hurt her feeling, that's all."

"But Penny asked us to be honest." Brian pointed out.

"Brian's right. You need to let her know the truth." Darwin said to his brother.

"Alright you guys, I get it. Besides, Penny might not have been that horrible."

Just then, Annie came through the garage door, looking at the boys with curiosity and astonishment on her face.

"Boys, did you hear that just now? I have never heard anything that horrible in my entire life."

Gumball looked at Brian and Darwin, both having a serious look on their face, prompting the blue feline to sigh in dismay. It was clear that they wanted him to be honest with Penny about her singing and he'll have to let her know tomorrow.

* * *

It was the next day at the school cafeteria, as Gumball, Darwin and Brian sat at their usual spot with their food on their tray. But today was anything but eventful, especially for Gumball; ever since yesterday, Brian and Darwin insisted to the blue feline that Penny needed to know the honest truth. As much as Gumball dreaded this, he had to man up and informed Penny about her singing talent.

'_I just hope that Penny will forgive me for lying to her.'_

Just then, a certain antlered peanut happily made her way to the trio's table.

"Hey guys."

"Oh, hey Penny." Gumball quickly greeted. "Why so upbeat?"

"After what happened yesterday, I decided to sign up for the school talent show." Penny replied, leaving the boys clearly shocked.

"Oh…that's good to hear, Penny." says Gumball, as he tried to hide his discomfort.

"I know Gumball and I can't wait until this Saturday to show them my talent!" Penny happily exclaimed. "Anyway, let's continue practicing at Brian's place until then."

As soon as Penny finished her sentence, she headed towards her table, leaving Gumball, Darwin and Brian on their table, still stunned to hear the last statement Penny gave to them.

"What should we do Brian?" Gumball frantically asked the purple fox. "We need to find a way to tell Penny that she's can't sing before Saturday."

"That's easier said than done, Gumball." Brian replied. "We just need to relax for a moment and thank clearly about this."

"I'm going to side with Brian on this one." Darwin agreed. "After all, it's not like we could have someone to tell Penny how awful she is for us."

The moment Darwin said those words, something lit up inside of Gumball.

"Darwin, that's it!" Gumball happily exclaimed. "Well just find someone to tell Penny that she's awful. That way, she'll understand what we were trying to tell her and we'll be in the clear."

"That does sounds like a good plan, Gumball…" Brian began. "But who would be willing to listen to Penny's singing?"

"Now that he mentions it, we need to find someone who would endure something so agonizing." Darwin informed his brother.

"Don't worry about it, you guys. I think I have someone in mind."

* * *

"So let me get this straight…" Anais began. "You, Darwin and Brian wanted me to record Penny's singing so she can hear it for herself?"

"That's why we dragged you here. All we wanted to do is let Penny hear herself on the recorder and she'll understand why we couldn't say she was awful in the first place." Gumball explained.

"Well, if this is just your way of coming clean with Penny, then alright." the child prodigy agreed. "By the way, where is Penny?"

On cue, Penny made her way inside the garage.

"Sorry I'm late, you guys. I was having a quick chat with my friends." Penny apologized, before she noticed Anais with the boys. "Sorry for stating the obvious Gumball, but why is your sister here?"

Before the blue feline could answer her question, Brian suddenly spoke and answered the question on his behalf.

"You see Penny, we needed a second opinion, so we convinced Anais to drop by and record our music."

"I guess that makes sense then." says Penny, despite being somewhat suspicious.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's do this!" Darwin exclaimed.

With that, the boys began to play on their instruments, before Penny began to sing once more. While the trio did their best to ignore the antlered peanut's awful singing, Anais, on the other hand, was having a hard time concentrating on her task.

'_Wow! They weren't kidding about Penny's singing!'_

In the midst of her own thought, the recorder on her hand suddenly became haywire, unable to bear with Penny's singing. Before the child prodigy could have a chance to react, the recorder suddenly exploded, sending Anais flying into the wall, prompting both the boys and Penny to stop what they were doing.

"Anais, are you alright?!" Gumball shouted, as he, Darwin, Brian and Penny came to the child prodigy's side.

"WHAT?!" Anais shouted. "I can't hear you! There's too much ringing going on in my ears!"

"Sorry about that Anais! I guess it didn't go as well as we had hoped!" Brian shouted back

"Daisy the Donkey isn't stupid!" the child prodigy yelled at the purple fox, before she promptly kicked him on the shin for the misinterpretation.

'_Ow! That really hurt!'_ Brian thought, wincing in pain from Anais' kick.

"Why did that recorder explode like that?" an astonished Penny questioned her friends.

"I think we should be more concern whether that recorder caused serious damage to Anais' hearing." Darwin informed the concern antlered peanut. "Anyway, let's just inform Mrs. Mom to let her know what happened."

With that, the four agreed to call it a day and take Anais back to the Watterson residence, hoping that Nicole wouldn't get too mad with what happened to her daughter.

* * *

The next day, Gumball, Darwin and Brian discussed with Bobert about Penny's singing and how they wanted the young robot to make an attempt to record it. Once Bobert agreed to help the trio out after a few minutes of thinking, all five showed up at Brian's garage for their usual practice after school.

"Alright Bobert, we're ready to practice." Gumball informed the young robot. "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

"Don't worry about it Gumball, I'm here to help out whenever I can." Bobert assured the blue feline.

"So it's settled…" Brian began. "Alright then, let's practice."

With that, the boys started to play on their respective instruments, while Penny began to sing as usual. By now, the trio was used to the antlered peanut's awful singing, ignoring it the best they can, while Bobert was doing his best to record it. But during those few minutes, the young robot suddenly started to malfunction.

"Can't take this…too unbearable…circuits are overloading!"

Unable to stand Penny's awful singing anymore, sparks flew out of Bobert's body and after a few seconds, the young robot shuts down in the process, much to the trio's chagrin.

'_Geez Louise! I knew this would too good to be true!'_ Brian thought in disbelief.

"What happened to Bobert?" asked Penny, oblivious to what happened to the young robot. "I hope it wasn't anything serious."

"He…probably ran out of energy." Darwin lied. "I think its best we let his mom know what happened."

While the lie was enough to throw off any suspicion from Penny, the trio knew that it would be a matter of time before the antlered peanut knew the truth and it was the last thing they wanted to happen.

'_This is going to be harder than we imagined.'_ Gumball thought. _'I just hope this is all cleared up by Saturday.'_

* * *

**A few days later…**

Gumball, Darwin and Brian sat on the school steps, dismay that, despite having it all planned out, not one person was able to endure Penny's singing long enough to inform the antlered peanut how awful it was.

During those few days, each of their classmates ended up suffering some unfortunate consequences as a result of listening to Penny's awful singing, including Alan deflating almost immediately, Carmen inadvertently shooting her sharp needles at them, Idaho exploded on impact, Dolly's head melting away and Leslie fainting. No matter how hard they tried, none of them could endure it for more than a few minutes.

'_This is becoming hopeless!'_ Brian thought. _'Saturday is around the corner and we still couldn't find a way to let Penny know the truth.'_

As Brian and the Watterson brothers continued to sit on the steps, lamenting over their situation, Penny came through the school door, happy as ever, as she approached the trio.

"Hey guys!"

"Hey Penny." Gumball, Darwin and Brian greeted back, trying their best to hide their despair.

"So, are you guys looking forward to the talent tomorrow night?" the antlered peanut asked enthusiastically.

"Um, sure, I guess." Gumball replied.

"I just hope it won't end very badly." says Brian.

"What they said." Darwin commented.

"Don't worry about it you guys…" Penny began. "We've been practicing for quite a while. We're going to ace it when we go on stage."

Penny's last statement prompted Brian and the Watterson brothers to chuckle nervously in response. Fortunately for them, the antlered peanut didn't seem to notice.

"Anyway, I have to let my family know about this when I get back home. I can't wait to see their faces when we get on stage."

The moment Penny brought up her family, the boys froze in fear, horrified that the antlered peanut planned to bring her family to the talent show tomorrow. If they discovered that she wasn't talented at all, as well as the fact that they have lied to her about it, they'll be in so much trouble. That was one scenario the trio wanted to avoid at all cost; now, they have to come up with something before they come up on stage tomorrow night.

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 33-The Talent: Part 2_

_The night of the talent show has arrived and Gumball, Darwin and Brian must come up with a plan to tell Penny the honest truth about her talent._

**Tidbits**

**-First time I managed to do a chapter about Penny. It's been a long while, but I'm glad that I finally had the chance to do this.**

**-I wanted to thank wiseguy1107 and Supergogeta14 for their suggestions once again.**

**-Originally, this chapter was going to be called "The Band", but after seeing a TAWOG fanfiction with the same name, I have to change the chapter title to "The Talent".**

**Hope everyone enjoyed this and I'll be seeing ya next chapter!**


	33. The Talent: Part 2

**Check out both TiaNibs' "Finding Yourself in Love" and LeelaSmall's "Best Friends Forever" when you get the chance. They're both good stories that I felt deserves some great recognition.**

**Anyway, read and enjoy!**

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 33-The Talent: Part 2

Gumball, Darwin and Brian rushed to the Fitzgerald residence as fast as they could, hoping to talk Penny out of participating tomorrow's talent show at Elmore Junior High. The last thing the trio wanted to happen was for the antlered peanut to end up getting humiliated on stage and that was one scenario they wanted to avoid.

'_Oh man! I hope that we're not too late!'_ Brian thought, as he, Gumball and Darwin arrived at the front door of the Fitzgerald, quickly ringing the door bell in the process.

While the trio waited for Penny to show up and tell her the honest truth, both Brian and the Watterson brothers looked at one another.

"Gumball, you have to promise us that you'll let Penny what we really think about her singing skills." Brian informed the blue feline.

"He's right, Gumball. If you care about Penny so much, you'll let her know the truth." says Darwin, agreeing with the purple fox.

"You're right, guys. I need to let Penny know the truth. It's something I should have done a long time ago." Gumball said to his friends.

As the boys continued to chat with each other, the front door to the Fitzgerald's opened, but instead of Penny, one certain, bulky antlered peanut showed up, much to the trio's surprise. But instead of his usual demeanor, he was in a happy mood instead.

"Hello Gumball. Hello Darwin." Mr. Fitzgerald greeted the Watterson brothers, before turning his attention to Brian. "I don't think we ever met before."

"My name is Brian O'Quinn, sir." the purple fox nervously introduced himself.

"Well, it's nice to meet you too." said Mr. Fitzgerald. "What brings you boys over here?"

"Well…" Gumball began. "It's about Penny, Mr. Fitzgerald. You see-"

"Oh yeah, that's right. You must be talking about the talent show." the bulky, antler peanut suddenly spoke. "Well, thanks to you and your friends, my girl has gained the confidence to take the stage."

"That's very good to hear and all, but about that-" was all Darwin could say, before finding himself cut off by Mr. Fitzgerald once more.

"Don't worry about that at all. As long as you guys and Penny continued to practice, I know you'll do your best."

"But Mr. Fitzgerald, you don't understand." Brian attempted to talk to the bulky antlered peanut.

"Calm down there, kid. I get that you and your friends feel pressured about the talent show, but don't get yourselves worked up."

"Dad, who are you talking to right now?" Penny called out from her bedroom.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. I'm just having a quick conversation with your friends." Mr. Fitzgerald replied.

"Oh, alright then."

Once Penny accepted her dad's answer, the bulky antlered peanut turned his attention to the boys once more.

"Anyway, I have to get back inside. Don't worry about Penny; I'll make sure that she won't forget about the talent show tomorrow night."

"Um, that's good to hear, Mr. Fitzgerald." said Gumball.

"Oh, one more thing…" Mr. Fitzgerald began.

"What is it?" asked Brian.

Before either the fox or the Watterson brothers knew what happened, the happy expression on Mr. Fitzgerald's face suddenly became stern and serious.

"If I found out that you three weren't honest with Penny's talent and she ended up getting humiliated on stage, I'll make you three wish you were never born. Understand?"

Gumball, Darwin and Brian stood still, chills sent down their spines, as their faces expressed fear and anxiety, before they nervously nodded their heads in response. Once Mr. Fitzgerald got the answers from the trio, the stern and serious expression disappeared on his face and smiled once more.

"I'm glad we have this conversation. Anyway, don't forget about the talent show tomorrow night."

With that, the bulky antlered peanut gently closed the door, as Gumball, Darwin and Brian remained still on the spot, horrified and speechless from Mr. Fitzgerald's statement. It was clear that the situation had gotten much more complicated and one they hope to resolve as quickly as they could.

* * *

The trio decided to stop by at the Watterson residence, as the boys tried to figure out a solution to their dilemma in the kitchen. But no matter how hard they tried, Gumball, Darwin and Brian were unable to come up with an answer to their problem. Tomorrow is the talent show at school and they know that sooner or later, Penny will find out the truth and she won't forgive any of them for being honest with her, especially Gumball.

"So, have any of you guys found a solution yet?" asked Gumball, prompting Darwin and Brian to shake their heads in disagreement.

The blue feline could only sigh in disappointment, dismay that none of them could come up with anything. At this rate, Penny would find out that they had been lying to her from the beginning and there was no way she'll ever forgive them.

As the boys desperately continued to find a good outcome for the talent show, the trio failed to notice the presence of a certain, older blue feline dropping by in the kitchen.

"Hey boys, what seems to be troubling you?" asked Nicole.

The moment Nicole spoke up, the trio were surprised to hear her out of the blue, as they promptly turned their attention to her from behind their backs.

"Hello Mrs. Watterson." Brian greeted the older, blue feline. "Sorry if we're so down today."

"You boys aren't getting stage fright for the talent show, are you?" Nicole questioned them.

"It's not the talent show that we're very concerned, Mrs. Mom. We're more worried about Penny taking stage." says Darwin.

"Why would you say that?" asked the older, blue feline, surprised to hear that from the two-legged fish.

"Well mom…" Gumball began, as he took a deep breath. "It all began just a few days ago…"

* * *

**Five minutes later…**

"…And ever since then, me, Darwin and Brian are trying to find a way to let Penny know the truth of her singing ability without upsetting her."

Once the young, blue feline told his mother nearly everything about their situation, Nicole rubbed her chin, as she stared at the boys with serious intent. From what she had gathered so far, her sons, along with their friend, have been trying to find a delicate way to inform Penny how they really felt about her singing ability and with no luck. After pondering for a while, the older, blue feline turned her attention to the boys once more, ready to talk.

"Gumball dear, I understand that you don't want to get her mad…" Nicole began. "But I think the best possible way is just to tell her the honest truth."

"Are you sure about that, mom?" Gumball asked with uncertainty.

"If you love Penny so much, then you'll do what you feel is the right thing." Nicole adamantly insisted. "Sooner or later, she needs to know the truth."

Gumball attempted to counter his mother's words, but he soon noticed that Nicole was looking at him rather sternly. Likewise, both Darwin and Brian looked at their friend with similar expression, having already been convinced from Nicole's words. After about a few minutes of thinking, Gumball looked at the floor defeated, accepting that his mom was right on this one.

"I'll leave you boys on your own to think about this. But remember Gumball; make sure that Penny hears them from you."

With that, the older, blue feline left the kitchen, leaving Gumball, Darwin and Brian on their own to think about their next course of action.

* * *

The next day, Brian called Penny on his cell phone and told her that him, Gumball and Darwin needed to tell her something very important at his place. She was quite surprised to hear this from the purple fox; what was so important to tell her on the day of the talent show and why? Nevertheless, Penny decided to drop by and have a conversation with the boys, as she soon managed to arrive at the O'Quinn residence, at Brian's insistence.

'_I wonder why Brian wants me to come here so badly.'_ Penny thought. _'Furthermore, I wonder what he had to say.'_

As much as she wanted to dwell on this, she decided that she'll get her answer from the trio themselves, as Penny made her way into the garage. After all, they were the one who wanted to talk to her to begin with.

"Sorry I took so long, but I'm here now Brian." Penny explained to the purple fox. "That said, can you tell me why you guys called me here to begin with? We need to get ready for the talent show."

Both Brian and the Watterson brothers looked at one another, each expressing a look of discomfort, something that Penny noticed almost immediately, much to her suspicion.

"Guys, is there something you're not telling me?"

"Come on, Gumball…" Brian whispered to the feline's ear. "It's now or never."

"Just do the right thing and get it over with." Darwin insisted.

Despite some hesitation on his part, Gumball took a deep breath and turned his attention to Penny, ready to give her the honest opinion, just as he should have done a few days ago.

"Penny, remember when I gave my opinion on your singing?"

"What about it?" the antlered peanut asked, arching an eyebrow in curiosity.

"I…wasn't being honest about it." the blue feline replied.

"…What are you talking about?"

Penny couldn't believe what she had just heard right now, shocked that Gumball would say something like that. As much as it pained Gumball, he knew that his crush really needs to know the whole truth, no matter how hurtful it was.

"The truth is you're not a very good singer. Darwin, Brian and I have been trying to find a way to tell you without hurting your feelings. In fact, the reason we bought Anais, Bobert and a few other classmate here was so that they can tell you their honest opinion about your singing."

"I see. That makes sense now." says Penny, before she looked at the blue feline, not with anger, but with disappointment on her face.

"Why didn't you tell me the truth from the beginning?"

"I didn't want to hurt your feelings." Gumball replied.

"But you did hurt my feelings by not being honest!" Penny retorted. "I told you to tell me the truth the moment we started practicing! I can't believe you would lie to me like that!"

Gumball could only cringed in response, while Darwin and Brian remained silent, opting not to say anything that could make the situation much worse than it already is.

"You're right Penny. I should have told you the truth a long time ago and I'm sorry about it." Gumball sadly apologized. "But the one thing I won't lie about is that the lyrics you wrote were really good and I mean it."

"Are you sure about that, Gumball?" Penny questioned the blue feline, as her anger slowly faded away.

"I'm genuinely honest about it." the blue feline insisted. "It's very well-written and the pacing of each lyric is quite good. Even though you can't sing it well, I still enjoyed hearing them from you and only you."

Penny continued to look at the blue feline, concentrating solely on Gumball's eyes. After what seemed to be like forever, the anger from within completely withered out, as she realized that what Gumball was sincere and it was clear that the blue feline was truthful about it.

"I'm glad you like my lyrics Gumball and I'm grateful for that, but that still doesn't change the fact that we have to show up tonight for the talent show. How am I going to explain to my family that I can't sing?"

"Maybe they don't have to know." Brian suddenly said, prompting Penny, Gumball and Darwin to turn their attention to him.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Darwin, arching an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Yeah Brian, what are you talking about?" Gumball questioned the fox.

"We can still go through with, but we'll try a new format instead so that way Penny doesn't have to sing at all once we're called up." Brian suggested.

Gumball, Darwin and Penny pondered for a moment, trying to understand what their friend had just said right now. Eventually, after just a few minutes of thinking, the trio slowly understood what the fox was trying to say after all, before all three turned their attention to Brian once more.

"What do you have in mind, Brian?" asked Penny.

"Huddled up and I'll explain everything." Brian replied.

With that, all four grouped together, as the purple fox offered his suggestion to the three about his idea, giving them enough time for preparations before the talent show tonight.

* * *

Elmore Junior High was normally closed for the weekends, with the exception of the usual club activities. But tonight, the school is holding the talent show competition, as every student had come to show off their skills on stage in front of a live audience. But for Gumball, Darwin, Brian and Penny, they were taking a big risk, especially after they had to change their format at the last minute.

After Brian gave his friends an alternative plan for the talent show tonight, Gumball, Darwin and Penny understood what the purple fox had in mind and without any hesitation, began to practice as hard as they could, hoping that this new idea was worth the risk. Sooner or later, it'll be their turn on stage and they just prayed that the audience will at least enjoy it.

"So, does everyone know what to do?" Brian asked his friends.

"Don't worry about it, Brian. We're all good." Gumball assured the purple fox.

"I just hope that your idea will turn out great in the end." said Darwin.

"I'm not so sure about myself, to be honest. But let the audience be the judge of that." Brian said to the two-legged fish, before focusing his attention on Penny. "Do you still have the paper with you?"

"It's right here with me, Brian." says Penny, as she took a quick peek from the curtain, spotting her family in the audience, before focusing her attention to the fox. "Are you sure this will work out?"

"I understand that you have your doubts…" Brian began. "But we just wanted to regain your trust after what happened."

"Brian's right." Gumball agreed. "We just need to stick together and make it through the talent show."

"Besides, it's not like anyone's going to be brutally criticized for one bad performances." said Darwin.

Just then, the four could hear Miss Simian from the auditorium and judging from her tone of voice, it appeared that she was displeased by the most recent performance.

"You called that a performance?! My great-grandmother could do that with her eyes closed! You and your companions get an F- for the most horrible talents!"

As soon as the old, cantankerous baboon made her comment, Gumball, Darwin, Brian and Penny saw Masami, along with Molly and Teri, ran to the backstage in tears, leaving the four quite uncomfortable by this unfortunate sight.

"Forget what I just said earlier." a nervous Darwin spoke.

"Don't worry buddy, will get through this." Gumball attempted to calm his brother down.

"I don't know, Gumball…" Brian began. "Impressing Miss Simian is going to be a real challenge. I mean, she was already harsh on Banana Joe's comedy routine, Tobias' one man band and Clayton's shape-shifting ability."

"But Gumball's got a point, Brian. We'll get through this as long as we stick together." Penny pointed out.

Brian couldn't help but smile in response, realizing that Penny's right: as long as they're together, they could get through with no problem.

Just then, Rocky showed up, carrying a clipboard under his arm, as the orange puppet approached the four, before expressing concern for the group.

"Alright you guys, it's your turn to get on the stage. Break a leg out there."

Once Rocky informed the group, Gumball, Darwin, Brian and Penny looked at one another, certain that they were ready to wow the audience with their performance.

* * *

The talent show turned out to be anything but spectacular, either because the audience remained unimpressed by some of the student's talents or due to the harsh criticism that Miss Simian continued to dish out on them, enjoying seeing their joy turn to sorrow.

While the elderly baboon was enjoying herself, Principal Brown, on the other hand, could shake his head in disbelief, as tonight's event was not turning out the way he had imagined. With the exception of a few good performances, the rest had ended up being mediocre in general, including the last performance.

'_At this rate, I'm just praying for a miracle!'_ Principal Brown thought.

As the furry slug continued to lament about tonight, Rocky went on stage, preparing to make an announcement to the indifferent audience.

"We like to apologize that the last performance didn't go so well. But without further delay, I want everyone to give a big round of applause to Gumball, Darwin, Brian and Penny."

On cue, the four kids made their way onto the stage as the audience clapped, while Rocky excused himself backstage.

"Miss Simian, what do you think Gumball and his friends will be playing?" Principal Brown whispered to the elderly baboon.

"I don't care about that, Nigel." Miss Simian replied. "All I do know is that those four will be performing badly big time."

While the furry slug and the elderly baboon continued to discuss with one another about the four's upcoming performance, Gumball, Darwin and Brian managed to set their instruments up, while Penny got up on the microphone, ready at any given moment.

'_Alright then, it's now or never.'_ Brian thought, just as his friends got into their respective positions. Once everyone was in place, the boys began to play a jazz-like tune from their instruments, much to the surprise from both the judges and the audiences.

'_What are those three up to?'_ Miss Simian wondered, as she, Principal Brown and the audience pondered what was about to happen next, as Penny began to speak through the microphone.

"I remember when I saw you  
you got me in the heart  
Just like cupid's dart  
I hope you feel this way too.  
I just wanted to ask  
do you want to go on a date.  
I think that'd be great.  
I'd be up for the task."

As Penny continued to read the lyrics out like poetry, Principal Brown, as well as Miss Simian and the entire audience, couldn't help but be mesmerized by the antlered peanut's words, as well as the boys' jazz-like tune they were playing just now. It was the last thing that everyone in this auditorium was expecting.

"Just say the word  
I'll be there  
Faster than a hare  
I won't be deterred.  
We should be together,  
You're as pure as a dove  
I'd give nothing but kindness and love  
We'd be like birds of a feather."

As soon as the antler peanut finished reciting her poetry, Gumball, Darwin and Brian also managed to finish up their tune as well. For their part, Principal Brown, along with Miss Simian and the entire audience, remained still on their seats, too speechless to say or do anything at all, leaving the four rather uncomfortable by their reactions.

'_Did we screw up or something?'_ Brian thought to himself, uncertain whether their act left a good impression on them.

For a long while, there was a long silence in the auditorium, as time seemed to have stood still. But eventually, after what felt like an eternity, the entire audience, including their respective families, slowly got up and soon gave them a thunderous applause for their great performance. Even Principal Brown and Miss Simian clapped for them as well, even though the cantankerous baboon was reluctant to do so.

As everyone continued to clap for their performance, Gumball, Darwin, Brian and Penny looked at one another and smiled, happy that, in spite of their situation, everything turned out alright in the end.

* * *

**Two days later…**

After a long day of relaxation on Sunday, Gumball, along with Darwin, Brian and Penny, managed to meet up at the cafeteria to discuss their experience from the talent show last weekend. Even though their performance put them in second place, with Hector winning first place, the four could care less about that and was just having a good time enjoying the other's company.

"I thought for sure that new act wasn't going to work out." Brian admitted to his friend.

"We weren't so sure about it ourselves, Brian…" Darwin began. "But at least things did turn out fine for all of us."

"I couldn't agree more." said Gumball, before he focused his attention to his crush. "Penny, I'm really sorry for everything that happened last week."

"It's alright Gumball, apology accepted." Penny assured the blue feline. "We manage to stick together and pulled it through in the end."

Gumball couldn't help but smiled, as his cheeks grew slightly red and rubbed his head sheepishly.

"Thank you so much, Penny."

"Don't mention it, Gumball…" the antlered peanut began. "But promise me that you'll be honest the next time around."

"Don't worry Penny, I'll make sure of that." The blue feline assured his crush.

Just then, Molly showed up out of nowhere, wearing a green dress, as she came by at the table where Gumball, Darwin, Brian and Penny are sitting at.

"Hey Gumball, I need your honest opinion…" the long neck began. "Does this dress make me look fat?"

Gumball froze in his seat, his head sweating like mad, as his friends, along with Molly, could only look at him, wondering how the blue feline will respond.

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 34-The Generous: Part 1_

_In order to get invited to the coolest part in Elmore, Rachel has to convinced a reluctant Brian to teach her how to be generous._

**Tidbits**

**-This one was a bit trickier than I had imagined, but nevertheless, I wanted to get through with this chapter.**

**-Once again, I wanted to thank wiseguy1107 for the lyrics.**

**I hope everyone enjoyed reading this and I'll be seeing ya next chapter!**


	34. The Generous: Part 1

**I just wanted to thank EvelioandZgroup for coming up with this chapter idea. I apologized that it took a long while, but I finally found the time to do this. Also, I wanted to thank Danny-of-TAWOG and wiseguy1107 for their help.**

**With that said, please read and enjoy!**

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 34-The Generous: Part 1

It was just another typical day at Elmore Junior High, but for one certain thirteen year old girl, she had only just a few days left until the coolest party in the town of Elmore arrived. In fact, it was the big talk among the students, as Rachel, along with a group of teenagers, which consisted of a black sheep, a magenta poodle and a pterodactyl, were discussing about it right now.

"Are you girls coming to the party this weekend?" asked Rachel.

"You know we would never miss out any party at all, girl." the black sheep replied.

"Besides, the flyer did say that it was THE coolest party ever in Elmore." the magenta poodle pointed out.

"Hilda and Sissy are right…" the pterodactyl began. "Just as long as it meets our expectation, everything will turn out great."

"That's great to hear!" Rachel exclaimed. "So, are we invited to the party?"

As soon as Rachel said those words, the sheep, poodle and pterodactyl confronted the blue humanoid with a look of aggravation on their face, much to Rachel's confusion.

"What's wrong? Why are you girls looking at me like that?"

"I'm surprised that Linda hadn't told you already…" Hilda began. "We decided not to bring you with us."

"What?!" Rachel angrily exclaimed. "Why would you girls do that to me?!"

"If I recall, you invited those little tykes at your place not a while ago." Sissy reminded the blue humanoid.

"Plus, you can be a bit bossy and mean sometimes." Linda pointed out.

"What is that you girls are trying to say?" Rachel demanded.

"Unless you can improve your attitude, we won't let you come with us." the poodle responded.

"Nothing personal, but until that happens, don't bother showing up at the party." Hilda rudely said to the blue humanoid.

With that, the three girls walked off, leaving a distraught Rachel in the process. She couldn't believe that her friends would not allow her to come with them after what happened. At the same time, though, she couldn't help but wonder if her personality could have been the main reason they didn't show up.

'_If that's the case, then how do I improve myself to convince them otherwise?"_

As Rachel pondered about this, wandering throughout the hallway, her thoughts were interrupted when she spotted Gumball and Darwin talking to a purple fox. If she remembered correctly, the fox was none other than Brian O'Quinn, who had just attended Elmore Junior High a few months ago; they really haven't interacted with one another, as she had usually witnessed the purple fox joining in some of his friends' escapades, as well as his own interaction with his classmates…wait a minute! That's it!

'_The solution to my problem is right in front of me!'_ Rachel happily thought.

Meanwhile, Brian was having a quick conversation with his friends about Miss Simian's homework assignment. Even though the old baboon made it looked like it was a challenge, the boys all agreed that it was surprisingly simple and easy and the trio had no doubt that their teacher would be aggravated by today's turn of event.

"Darwin and I are going to head to the cafeteria to grab a bite to eat." said Gumball.

"That sounds like a good idea." Brian said to his friend. "Don't worry; I'll be there, just as soon as I put everything away in my locker."

"Thanks for the heads up. We'll make sure that we save you a spot." assured Darwin.

With that, the Watterson brothers made their way to the cafeteria, while Brian began to put away his stuff in his locker. Once he was certain that everything was in placed, the purple fox slammed his locker shut, just as a certain blue humanoid showed up in front of him, much to his curiosity.

"Um…may I help you?"

"I don't think we have ever met before. My name is Rachel Wilson." the blue humanoid introduced herself. "And you must be Brian O'Quinn."

"The one and only." Brian said to Rachel. "Anyway, what brings you over here?"

"I couldn't help but notice how you've been so helpful with nearly everyone…" the blue humanoid began. "So I wanted to know how you were able to pull it off."

"That's simple: I just do what I feel is right." Brian replied.

"So that's it." Rachel commented. "In that case, can you teach how to be generous then?"

"You want me to teach you how to be nice?" asked an astonished Brian. "I don't know Rachel."

"Brian, I really need your help on this one." the blue humanoid pleaded. "During the past four months, I couldn't help but notice that you're everyone's friend wherever you go."

"I'm not exactly-" Brian attempted to explain.

"The point is you're the only one who can help me out. In fact, I'll get you, Gumball and Darwin an invitation to the coolest party ever in this town!"

Once Rachel finished her sentence, Brian was left pondering on his next course of action. On one hand, the purple fox barely knew Rachel at all. On the other hand, however, she seemed to be a nice person and at the very least, he wanted to give her a chance to prove herself.

With that in mind, Brian turned his attention to Rachel, ready to give his answer to her.

"Alright Rachel, I'll do the best to help you out. Just come with me at my place this afternoon."

"Thank you so much, Brian." Rachel happily exclaimed.

With that, the blue humanoid walked right passed the purple fox, heading to the cafeteria, while Brian remained in the hallway, still having some reservation about helping Rachel out this afternoon.

* * *

After school was finished for today, Brian led Rachel to his place, just as he had promised. Once the two made their way to the O'Quinn residence, the blue humanoid couldn't help but be somewhat impressed by the kind of place Brian lived in.

"I'll have to be honest with you, Brian…" Rachel began, as she and the fox made their way inside. "This place kind of reminds me of my own home."

"Well, I'm glad you liked it. It's not much, but it's still comfortable." said Brian, as he rubbed his head sheepishly. "Anyway, tell me exactly what you want to improve on and I'll do my best to help you out."

"For starters, I want to show everyone that I'm not bossy and mean all the time." Rachel explained to the purple fox.

"Exactly what do you mean by that?" asked Brian.

In response, the blue humanoid took a deep breath and before the purple fox knew what happened next, Rachel let out the biggest shout Brian has ever heard in his entire life.

"You dumb loser baby better get out of my sight this instant!"

Once the blue humanoid finished demonstrating her behavior to Brian, the purple fox remained standing still, his fur frizzled out all over the place. After about a few seconds, Brian shook himself back to reality, brushing his fur back in place and turned his attention to Rachel once more.

"Alright, I didn't expect that, but it's starting to make sense now."

"So, what improvement I should make?" asked Rachel.

Brian pondered for a moment, trying to come up with a good answer for the blue humanoid. Eventually, after a long while, the purple fox found the answer he needed, as he turned his attention back to Rachel to explain to her about it.

"Try changing the tone of your voice. That way, anyone you crossed path with won't be rubbed the wrong way."

"Is that it?" Rachel asked, somewhat disappointed by the fox's answer.

"Not exactly, Rachel. I have a few ideas for improving your behavior, but I wanted to know if you're cool with it."

Rachel pondered for a moment, thinking of what the purple fox had just said right now. For some reason, the blue humanoid had a strange feeling that this was going to be a lot longer than she had imagined. On the other hand, this might be worth it and surely her new attitude would be enough to get another chance from her friends.

With that in mind, Rachel faced Brian once more, ready to give the fox her answer.

"Alright then, let's do this."

* * *

Once the blue humanoid agreed to go along with the purple fox's lessons, Brian decided to take Rachel to the backyard, mainly because he needed some fresh air, but also as a suitable location as part of the few lessons he had in mind.

"Alright Rachel, here's how it goes…" Brian explained. "All you have to do is pet Elsie on the head as gently as you can. But beware; she can be a bit grouchy if you rub her wrong. It'll be helpful to give yourself a relaxing demeanor."

"That sounds like a simple task." Rachel commented, before arching an eyebrow. "Just out of curiosity, who's Elsie and where is she?"

In response, Brian performed a wolf-whistle at the greenhouse and before Rachel knew what happened, she can hear slight tremors coming from the building, each getting louder by the minute. After several more seconds, the door to the greenhouse burst wide opened, revealing the cat-lizard hybrid beast to the terrified blue humanoid.

"T-t-that's Elsie?" Rachel stuttered, as she backed a few feet from the hybrid beast.

"Don't worry, Rachel. Elsie's housetrained. She's just not use to strangers, that's all." Brian attempted to calm Rachel down.

"A-are you s-s-sure about t-that?" the blue humanoid asked, somewhat unconvinced by Brian's words.

"Believe me; it took me weeks just to get her on good side." Brian replied. "Look, just give it a shot and I promise you, she'll gradually warm up to you."

Rachel continued to look at the purple fox, before looking back at the hybrid beast. Even though this wasn't how she imagined today was going to be, a part of her felt like she couldn't abandoned this opportunity. After all, if Brian was able to tame Elsie, so can she and as the fox had stated, she should at least try it out for herself.

'_Alright then, here it goes.'_ Rachel thought to herself, as she slowly approached the cat-lizard hybrid beast and petted her head gently.

The moment the blue humanoid petted Elsie's head, the hybrid beast slowly calmed down and before Rachel knew what was happening, the large creature lied on the grass, purring gently, much to her relief.

"You know, this isn't bad at all." said Rachel, as she relaxed.

"See, that wasn't so tough." Brian told the blue humanoid.

But in the midst of their brief conversation, Rachel unknowingly rubbed down onto Elsie's neck very hard, causing the hybrid beast to lose her cool. Before either kid knew what happened, Elsie began to roar ferociously, causing Brian and Rachel to fall on their backs, as the ferocious cat-lizard eyed on them with malicious intent.

'_This is not going to be good at all.'_ Brian thought, before Elsie proceeded to pounce on her preys.

* * *

The first lesson didn't go exactly as Brian had hoped for, as Elsie ended up injuring both him and Rachel rather badly. Fortunately for them, Annie was in the house when it happened and the older purple fox managed to quell the hybrid beast down long enough for the duo to head back inside the house. As much as Brian wanted to relax, he still wanted to help Rachel out as best as he can, as the two took a walk around the neighborhood.

"I'm sorry what happened back there, Rachel." Brian apologized.

"That's alright, Brian. It wasn't your fault." Rachel responded, despite being somewhat annoyed.

"Anyway, let's move on to the next lesson." said Brian, wanting to change the subject. "If you want to show people that you're courteous, try to help someone out for a change."

"Um, could you give me an example?" asked Rachel.

Brian rubbed his chin, trying to thank of something to answer the blue humanoid's question. Just then, though, the purple fox spotted a Plaid Old Man on the sidewalk, ready to cross to the other side of the streets. That is when an idea came to Brian.

"Perhaps this will help." Brian finally answered, before the purple fox made his way to the elderly man.

Once Brian made his way to the Plaid Old Man, the purple fox help escorted him once the traffic light turned green, making sure that he was picking up the pace, as Rachel watched on with curiosity and discomfort.

'_How does helping an old geezer make me look courteous to others?'_

As the blue humanoid tried to find an answer to this question, Brian managed to help the Plaid Old Man to the other side of the street just in time.

"Thanks for the help, young man. That was very kind of you." the Plaid Old Man informed Brian, before he went on his merry way.

Satisfied that the elderly person was upbeat and optimistic, the purple fox turned around to see Rachel on the other side of the street, still dumbfounded by his recent action.

"Do I really have to help some slowpoke geezer just to show people I'm courteous?!" the blue humanoid called out to Brian.

"It's not just limited to any old people. Just find someone that just needs help." Brian explained.

Rachel looked around, hoping to spot someone close to her vicinity and help one of them cross the street, even if such an idea didn't appeal to her at all. But by a stroke of luck, the blue humanoid spotted an old, grizzled lizard woman just a few inches from her, waiting patiently for her turn to cross the street.

'_Here goes nothing.'_ Rachel thought, as she approached the lizard woman as cautiously as possible.

"Excuse me, but is it alright if I could-"

"What are you up to, missy?!" the Lizard Woman suddenly shouted, as Rachel recoil in shock. "You think you can snatch my purse and get away with it?!"

Before Rachel knew what happened next, the cantankerous lizard began to assault the blue humanoid with her can, repeatedly hitting on her head. Alarmed by this, Brian immediately dashed towards Rachel's aid, ignoring oncoming traffic, hoping to clear a few things up with the grouchy old woman.

"What the flip are you doing?! All Rachel was doing is trying to help you out and-"

"So you're in on it too, fox boy?! I should have known that you two would plan this out."

Realizing that the lizard woman had no intentions on listening to their explanations, both Brian and Rachel turned and fled, as the cantankerous lizard began to chase them around the neighborhood.

* * *

**5 minutes later…**

Brian and Rachel peeked through the bushes, hoping that they finally got rid of that crazy old woman. After about several more seconds, the duo sighed with relief, before they got out of the bushes, certain that they won't be crossing path with the Lizard Woman again.

"I'm glad that was over." said Brian. "I thought we would never get rid of her."

"Forget about that, Brian…" an irritated Rachel began. "What about your lessons? No offense, but every time I participated in them, I ended up getting hurt in the process."

Brian could only wince in response, as he still recalled what had happened with Rachel not so long ago.

"I understand that the first two lessons didn't turn out the way I had imagined. Still, don't give up just yet, Rachel. Maybe the next lesson might be a turning point for you."

"You're right, Brian. I should keep trying." Rachel said to the fox, calming down a bit. "That said, what's the next lesson about?"

Brian pondered for a moment, trying to figure out the next lesson that he thought of for Rachel. After a few minutes of thinking, the purple fox finally realized what that lesson was.

"Try to give someone a friendly smile. That way, everyone would know that you're not such a bad person after all."

As soon as Brian made that statement, Rachel didn't respond right away, as she stared at the purple fox with utter disappointment.

"That's it? You're telling me that I should just give a smile to someone I barely knew?"

"I get it that it's not what you were expecting, but I assure, one smile does make a difference." Brian replied, before he spotted a purple moose walking from a distance. "Here, I'll show you."

The purple fox then made his way towards the elderly moose, stopping dead in his track, curious to see what the young boy was doing here to begin with.

"I apologized if I was interrupting your routine, but I just wanted to let you know that you have a nice looking hat." Brian complimented, before he gave the purple moose a big smile.

"That was very kind of you to say that." the purple moose thanked the purple fox, before he continued onwards, just as Rachel approached Brian with a look of astonishment.

"I can't believe that actually work. You know, maybe this one lesson I can ace with ease."

"That's very good to hear, Rachel. Perhaps you can finish that lesson up by doing the same thing with that person over there." said Brian, before he pointed towards Marvin "Bert" Finkleheimer sitting on the bench.

Nodding her head in agreement, Rachel made her way towards the elderly bean, as he was feeding the pigeons with some bread crumbs.

"Sorry to bother you, but I just want to say that you're looking very energetic."

"Why, that was very kind of you to-"

As soon as Marvin turned around to face Rachel, the elderly bean was greeted with the most horrific looking smile he had ever seen in his life. The expression on the blue humanoid was so frightening, it proved too much for Marvin to handle and before Rachel knew it, the elderly bean frantically rushed off, getting as far away from the stunned blue humanoid as fast he can, just as Brian approached Rachel.

"I'm sorry what happened back there." Brian apologized.

"Forget it, Brian. It's hopeless." Rachel gloomily said to the purple fox. "I'll never get into that party now."

"Don't say that Rachel. I'm sure you'll-"

"I appreciate what you're doing, but let's face the fact: as long as I'm still bossy and mean, my friends won't acknowledge me."

Brian was about to say something when someone suddenly shouted behind them, prompting the duo to turn around and saw Karen chasing Sal Left Thumb.

"Somebody stop him! He stole my purse!"

Fortunately for Brian and Rachel, the robber was too busy to notice their presence, his attention focusing on the desperate pink humanoid. As he continued to run from Karen, laughing at her misfortune, the blue humanoid promptly stuck her foot out, causing Sal to trip over and hit his head on the pavement, allowing the pink humanoid to catch up to the thief just in time.

"Thank you so much for the help."

"Oh, it was nothing, really." Rachel replied, smiling, as she picked up Karen's purse and handed it to the happy pink humanoid. "It was the least thing I could do."

Karen responded by smiling back at the blue humanoid, before she turned and walked to the opposite direction. As Rachel looked on, the blue humanoid noticed that Brian was looking at her with amazement, much to her confusion.

"What?"

"Rachel, I think you finally manage to correctly apply my lessons!" Brian happily exclaimed.

The moment the purple fox says those words out, the blue humanoid couldn't help but recall her earlier actions just now. Slowly but surely, Rachel soon understood what Brian had said, happy that she was able to used them right off the bat.

"You're right Brian; I really did put those lessons in good use. Thank you so much for the help!"

"By George, I think you got it."

Once Brian says those words, Rachel looked at the purple fox with curiosity by his choice of words.

"Why did you say that?"

"I honestly have no clue." Brian replied, as he rubbed his head sheepishly. Nevertheless, he was happy to know that, in spite of what had happened today, everything turned out alright in the end.

* * *

The next day at Elmore Junior High, Rachel used the lessons that Brian taught her yesterday in the afternoon and despite being nervous about it, the blue humanoid was able to give out friendly greetings to most of the students, offering them help and even smiling. Understandably, everyone was surprised to see Rachel behave in such a manner.

If that wasn't strange enough, there were rumors that Rachel's change in demeanor was the result of Brian helping her out. Not surprisingly, the rumors was started by none other than William, whom, one way or another, had managed to find out about Rachel seeking Brian for help, causing many to speculate about the two.

While Rachel was happily walking around the hallway, Brian, on the other hand, expressed discomfort about the attention he was receiving, as the purple fox noticed his fellow classmates staring at him suspiciously and whispering to one another about the rumors.

'_I really need to know how William does that.'_ Brian thought, before making his way towards his locker, getting today's materials for Miss Simian's class.

But as soon as the purple fox closed his locker, he noticed Gumball and Darwin right in front of him, causing Brian to yelp before he fell to the floor, startled that his friends unexpectedly showed up.

"What brings you guys over here?" the purple fox asked his friends, as he got up on the floor to regain his composure.

"We've been hearing a lot rumors about you and Rachel, so me and my buddy decided to find out if it's true or not." Gumball spoke with a worried tone.

"Yeah, are you sure that you and Rachel are more than friends?" Darwin asked Brian suspiciously.

"Are you guys serious?! There's nothing going on between me and Rachel." Brian explained. "Besides, I only have eyes for Rhonda."

"Sure you do, Brian." said Darwin, somewhat unconvinced by his friend's claim.

"Darwin, don't be so hard on Brian…" Gumball began. "If it'll make you feel better, let's have him tell his side of the story."

"…Alright. I guess I should hear him out." Darwin reluctantly agreed.

"Thanks for the help, Gumball." Brian said to the blue feline. "Anyway, here's what happened…"

While Brian explained to his friends what had happened yesterday, Rachel, meanwhile, was minding her own business in the hallway, happy that today turned out to be quite an improvement compared to yesterday. Now all she has to do is find her friends and-

"Rachel, how are you feeling today?"

The blue humanoid stopped in her tracks and turned to the direction of the voice. Much to her surprise, Hilda, Sissy and Linda were right behind her, all three having quizzical look on their face, something that Rachel noticed almost immediately.

"Um, is there a problem?"

"Actually, there is…" Hilda began. "What's going on between you and that new kid?"

"If you must know, Brian helped me improved my behavior. It got off to a rocky start, but I manage to learn from his lessons." Rachel replied.

"Are you sure about that, Rachel?" asked Sissy.

"What are you talking about?"

In response, the poodle leaned towards to the blue humanoid and began whispering in her ear. Rachel's eyes popped wide opened upon learning what she said.

"Brian and I don't like each other like that!" the blue humanoid defensively exclaimed.

"But that's what we've been hearing since this morning, Rachel." Linda explained. "We were just wondering what's going on since yesterday."

"All Brian did was simply improving on my behavior, that's all." Rachel insisted. "As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing going on between us."

"Alright Rachel, you mad your point." said Hilda. "Anyway, now that we know those rumors are false, do you still want to show up at the party tomorrow night?"

"You really mean it?!" Rachel asked excitedly.

"After what happened yesterday, I don't see why not." The black sheep replied. "In fact, you can bring that new kid to the party as well, along with his companions."

"I was actually planning on doing that, but thank you so much."

As Rachel was filled with excitement that her friends had finally re-accepted her back into the group, the blue humanoid didn't noticed the snide look on her friends' face, unaware of what was about to happen this Saturday night.

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 35-The Generous: Part 2_

_Gumball, Darwin and Brian are invited to the coolest party in Elmore and while the trio was having a good time, Rachel soon discovers that her friends had an ulterior motive for Brian and his friends._

**Tidbits**

**-Believe it or not, Wilson is the last name for both Rachel and Tobias. In fact, check it up on the Gumball wiki to find out for yourselves.**

**-I'm aware that Ben Bocquelet and the rest of the writers don't have much interest in giving Rachel another role. As such, I decided to give Rachel one not only for this chapter, but for future ones as well.**

**-Hilda, Sissy and Linda are created exclusively for this story. One of the reasons I created them is to give Rachel someone to interact with.**

**-It's been a long time, but I finally manage to bring Elsie back, even if her role is minor.**

**-This chapter idea was suggested by EvelioandZgroup and as such, I wanted to give him full credit for it. Also, I wanted to thank Danny and wiseguy1107 for their help.**

**I hope everyone enjoyed this and I'll be seeing ya next chapter!**


	35. The Generous: Part 2

**Wow! I never thought I would have over 200 reviews! That really means so much to me and I wanted to thank everyone for reading and following my story! :D**

**Without further ado, I wanted to thank EvelioandZgroup for coming up with this chapter idea once again.**

**Anyway, read and enjoy!**

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 35-The Generous: Part 2

It was Saturday evening in the town of Elmore and while most people would be sleeping, for Brian and the Watterson brothers, the night had only just begun.

As promised, Rachel was able to get the trio an invitation to what was supposed to be the coolest party ever. Apparently, the location to this party is rather secretive and the blue humanoid was very kind to help the boys out, as Rachel continued to lead the trio in a wooded area in town.

"Are you sure you know where we're going?" asked Brian.

"I know where the place is, Brian. Just try to be patient." Rachel assured the skeptical fox, as the blue humanoid pushed some bushes away.

"No offense Rachel, but we've been wandering around for almost an hour…" Gumball began. "I'm starting to think that this place doesn't even exist at all."

"Calm down for just a moment, you guys. If Rachel knows what she's doing, then let's give her a chance." Darwin said to his friends. "For all we know, we could be there-"

"We're here!" Rachel informed the boys, prompting the trio to stop their conversation and turned to see what was in front of them. But upon catching a glimpse of the sight, the boys were very disappointed what they were looking at, particularly Brian.

"That's it? The coolest party in Elmore is inside a warehouse?"

"I'll admit it's not what it looks like, but appearance can be deceiving." Rachel replied. "Besides, there's a reason why it's a secret location to begin with."

"I hope that's the case." Gumball commented, as him, Darwin, Brian and Rachel made their way to the warehouse. Upon reaching the building, the blue humanoid banged on the metal door and before the trio knew what happened, the panel slid aside, showing only a pair of eyes staring at the four.

"What's the password?" the voice demanded.

"Would you kindly." Rachel replied.

The voice from the other side didn't respond immediately and instead closed the panel from the door. Just then, the metal door opened up for the four to let them in; while Rachel stood there excited, Gumball, Darwin and Brian were awestruck by what they were looking at.

Inside the warehouse, the party was in full swing, as the partygoers were having the time of their young lives, music filling up the room and lights flashing right before their eyes. Never in their lives did the trio imagine that they would come across into something so amazing that it would take their breaths away.

"Wow! This really is the coolest party in Elmore!" Gumball, Darwin and Brian simultaneously exclaimed.

"See, I knew you guys would like it." says Rachel. "Now come on, let's go have a good time."

Gumball, Darwin and Brian nodded their heads in agreement and along with Rachel, made their way inside the warehouse, traversing to the sea of partygoers as carefully as they could, not wanting to cause a ruckus.

'_Geez Louise! There are so many people here in this party!"_ Brian thought, before him, his friends and Rachel were able to find some open space to move freely, allowing the purple fox to stretch his back out.

"That took longer than I expected." says Gumball, as he stretched his arms out.

"Tell me about it. I thought I was going to suffocate back there." Darwin said to his brother, stretching his legs out.

While the boys were busy trying to regain their composure, Rachel, also stretching her limbs from getting out from the sea of partygoers, noticed three certain girls coming right towards her, much to the blue humanoid's joy.

"Hey girls! How's the party so far?!"

"It's going great so far." Hilda replied. "Anyway, why don't you and that new kid come with us at the table? We're very interested about him, don't you agree, you two?"

As soon as the black sheep asked that last statement, Hilda gave Sissy and Linda a wink, prompting both the poodle and the pterodactyl to nod their heads in agreement, going along with their friend's action for the moment, as Hilda turned to Rachel to hear her answer.

"Sure, I guess that's alright."

Rachel then made her way to Brian, as the fox finally loosened his body, just as he noticed the blue humanoid right in front of him.

"Rachel…is there-" was all Brian could say, before the blue humanoid immediately dragged the confused purple fox with her, something that both Gumball and Darwin noticed right away.

"What was that about?" asked Gumball.

"I don't know, but I am curious to see what they're up to." Darwin replied with a tone of jealousy.

"Darwin, Brian already told you everything what happened between him and her yesterday. How could you still have doubts about him?"

"I want to see with my own eyes whether Brian is telling the truth or not. Now come on, we need to follow them and find out for ourselves."

Gumball could only sigh, deeply annoyed that his brother still remained skeptical about what the purple fox had told them yesterday. Nevertheless, the blue feline reluctantly agreed with him and the Watterson brothers cautiously followed Brian and Rachel as quietly as they can.

* * *

Brian couldn't fathom what just happened right now; one minute, the purple fox was able to regain his composure long enough to feel very energetic to have a time of his life on the dance floor. The next thing that Brian knew, Rachel was suddenly dragging him to a table with three girls he didn't recall seeing before.

"I'm going to assume that these are your friends." Brian deduced.

"Of course they are, Brian. I wouldn't bring you over here if they weren't." Rachel said to the purple fox. "Anyway, let me introduce you to Hilda, Sissy and Linda."

"Um…it's nice to meet you." Brian greeted the three girls, despite being extremely nervous around them. For their part, Hilda, Sissy and Linda giggled in response, amused by the response the nervous purple fox gave to them just now.

"You're so funny, Brian. We've heard so much about you." says Hilda.

"Yeah, about that-" was all Brian could say, before the purple fox found himself cut off by one of the girls.

"Don't worry about it. Rachel assured us that you were just helping her out before." Sissy spoke out.

Brian couldn't help but feel a bit relieved to hear this; glad to know that these girls didn't believed the rumors that William spread throughout school yesterday. Even so, the purple fox still didn't seem to enjoy their company that much, even though they appeared to be rather kind to him based on their manners.

"Listen, it was nice meeting you girls and I mean it, but I really need to find my friends."

"Why are you in such a rush, Brian?" asked Rachel, confused by his demeanor. "Just stick around for just a few minutes of-"

"Actually, we kind of need our friend here for the moment." Linda spoke out, cutting off the blue humanoid. "If you don't mind Brian, we really need to have a private talk with her."

Before Rachel could say anything, the black sheep, magenta poodle and pterodactyl immediately pushed the blue humanoid to another part of the warehouse, leaving Brian all alone on the table, just as Gumball and Darwin had arrived to face the purple fox.

"Hey guys, it's good to see you." said Brian, before he noticed Darwin looking at him in a peculiar way. "Um, is there something wrong?"

Without warning, the two-legged fish immediately grabbed the purple fox by the collar of his hoodie and before Brian knew what happened next, he found his face being pressed onto Darwin's.

"For starters, you've been hanging out with Rachel." Darwin replied. "Plus, you've been getting too friendly with those other girls back there. What are you really up to?"

Brian couldn't believe what he just heard out of his friend's mouth. Even though he already explained to him what happened on Thursday, Darwin was still suspicious by his actions. The purple fox couldn't help but wonder if the two-legged fish might be jealous of the fact that he was hanging out with the blue humanoid.

'_Perhaps I should get some answer right out of him.'_ Brian thought, as he pulled himself away from his friend's grip, allowing himself to regain his composure, before focusing his attention to Darwin.

"Look Darwin, I'll say it before and I'll say it again: there's nothing going on between me and Rachel. In fact, if I know any better, I say that you might have feelings for her. Am I right?"

The moment the purple fox says those words to him, Darwin tried to counter his friend's claims, but after several seconds of thinking, the two-legged fish could only sigh in defeat, before giving an answer to Brian.

"Alright, I'll admit that I have feelings for her. It's just that, I panicked when I heard about those rumors and deep down; I knew you would never like Rachel as much as Rhonda. I'm sorry I was so rough on you."

"That's good to hear, Darwin. Glad we managed to clear things up." Brian said to Darwin.

"It's about time you guys got over with it." Gumball finally spoke. "Now come on and let's just have a good time."

Both Brian and Darwin nodded their heads in agreement and before long, the trio head to the dance floor, intending to have a good time.

* * *

Rachel was surprised by tonight's unusual turn of event; first, Brian, for some reason, seemed to be reluctant to talk to her friends, even though they were very friendly with him to begin with. And if that wasn't, Hilda, Sissy and Linda suddenly dragged her off and before long, the blue humanoid soon found herself in another section of the party, far away from Brian and the Watterson brothers.

"What's the big deal? Come to think of it, why are we even here in the first place?" Rachel demanded.

"Calm down Rachel, we just want to discuss with you about this prank we're planning to pull off tonight with you." Hilda explained.

"What prank?" Rachel asked in curiosity.

"I'm glad you ask about. Girls, if you would kindly explained to our friend here."

Once the black sheep finished her statement, Sissy and Linda approached the blue humanoid, the latter holding what appeared to be a blueprint of some sorts, causing Rachel to become even more curious.

"As you can see…" Sissy began, before she and Linda unrolled the blue prints in front of Rachel. "We want you to continue to hang out with the new kid and his friends for a bit longer until you take them to one specific spot in this party…"

"…And when they reached to that spot, me, Sissy and Hilda will take over from there and give them a night they'll never forget." Linda added.

"What are you girls talking about?" Rachel questioned her friends, feeling a bit uncomfortable by their behaviors.

"Isn't it obvious Rachel? We're going to humiliate them in front of everyone." Hilda calmly replied.

The moment the black sheep gave her response to the blue humanoid, Rachel was both shocked and surprised to hear this, too stunned to respond right away. Her demeanor didn't go unnoticed, as Hilda, Linda and Sissy noticed their friend's reaction right away.

"What's wrong, Rachel? I thought you would like this plan of ours."

"Yeah, it took us several hours to come up with this prank."

"Perhaps this prank of ours wasn't that impressive."

For a while, there was nothing but silence between the blue humanoid and the three girls. After several seconds of silence, Rachel was finally snapped back to reality, confronting her friends with a look of disappointment.

"Why would three do something like that to those guys?"

"What's the big deal?" Hilda questioned the blue humanoid. "They're nothing more than a bunch of dumb loser babies. You, of all people, should know that we eighth graders never associate with them."

"Yeah Rachel…" Sissy began, eyeing the blue humanoid with suspicion. "Why are you behaving like this all of a sudden?"

"If I know any better, I say you're warming up to those little dweebs back there, especially that new kid." Linda deduced.

As soon as the pterodactyl said those words, Rachel responded by glaring at her friends, somewhat annoyed by such an assertion, before she calmed herself down and began to talk to her friends once more.

"Look, Brian, Gumball and Darwin hadn't done anything wrong. I'm just saying that we let them have their fun and just leave them alone."

"So you're saying that you don't care about our friendships, is that it?" Hilda asked the blue humanoid.

"That's not what I'm-"

"Are you suggesting that you want to be friends with them?" Sissy spoke, cutting off Rachel's words.

"If you would just-"

"That's a shame then, because I thought we were supposed to be friends." says Linda.

Rachel tried to come up with an explanation for her friends, but after a minute or so, the blue humanoid was unable to come up with anything to say back. In addition, she noticed the glares coming from her friends, something that left Rachel rather uneasy. Even though she disagreed with them about their plans, she also wanted to cherish her friendships with them and the last thing she wanted to do was to get on their bad side.

Deciding that it was not the time or place to think about her situation, the blue humanoid decided to put her thoughts aside for the moment, focusing her attention towards her friends, ready to talk with them once more.

"Look, let me think about it for a moment and I'll get right back to you girls with an answer."

With that, the blue humanoid quickly walked away from the girls as fast as she can, clearly uncomfortable with their presence and disturbed with their plans for tonight.

* * *

Gumball, Darwin and Brian were having a time of their lives; the trio didn't know how long it has been since they came to a party like this, but they could care less about it for the moment. Right now, they just want to make sure that this was one night they'll never forget and planned to dance the whole night.

"Isn't this exciting or what, you guys?!" Brian called out to his friends.

"I don't know about you, but this is the best thing that ever happened!" Gumball responded back.

"I just wish that this night would never end!" Darwin declared.

As the trio continued to party out at the dance floor, the purple fox could feel a tap on his shoulder, prompting him to stop what he was doing and turned around to see Hilda right behind him. Likewise, Gumball and Darwin also stopped dancing and noticed the black sheep in their presence as well.

"Um, is there something you need?" Brian asked with curiosity.

"Actually, I do…" Hilda began. "But first, I need you and your friends to come with me for the moment. I rather discussed with you three somewhere private."

Brian and the Watterson brothers looked at one another with uncertainty, unsure of what to make of the black sheep's words. While Gumball and Darwin barely knew Hilda for more than a minute, Brian, on the other hand, was already uncomfortable being in her presence. He wasn't so sure if it's because she happened to be an eighth grader or if he was simply suspicious by her actions.

Regardless of what the trio thought about Hilda, the boys decided to best hear from the black sheep, before they can resume partying like before.

"Well, I guess it's alright to hear you out." Brian replied, rubbing his head sheepishly.

"That's very good to hear." Hilda said, happy to hear his answer. "Now, you three come with me for a moment and I won't bother you guys any further."

With that, Gumball, Darwin and Brian followed Hilda out of the dance floor, as the black sheep began to lead them far away from the party and into the service area, which was surprisingly empty, much to the trio's confusion.

"Why are we here?" Gumball questioned the black sheep.

"Yeah, there's not that many people here to begin with." Darwin noted.

"Oh don't worry about it…" Hilda began, slightly smirking. "This place will be packed before you guys will even know what happened."

"What exactly do you mean by that?" asked Brian.

"Oh, don't worry your pretty little head." the black sheep responded. "You and your friends will find out soon enough. If you don't mind, I need to excuse myself for the moment."

Once those words were spoken, Hilda immediately walked away from the area, leaving just Brian and the Watterson brothers on their own, still confused by Hilda's action just now.

"What was that about?" Gumball asked his friends.

"Beats me Gumball, but I really didn't feel comfortable being around with her or her friends for long." Brian replied.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Darwin.

"Well…" Brian began. "It happened not so long ago…"

* * *

While Brian explained to his friends of his brief encounter with Rachel's friends, not far from where they were, Sissy and Linda peeked around the corner, as the two were hiding right behind a metal pillar, spying on the unsuspecting boys. Just as they had imagined, all three of them were in the exact spot from the blue print, as a big bucket containing rotten eggs and milk were right above them, attached to a very long rope resting right next to the poodle and the pterodactyl.

"Wow, I can't believe they're right were we wanted them to be." Sissy commented.

"You said it, girl." Linda remarked. "Right now, we just need to wait patiently for Hilda so we can go through with this prank."

On cue, a cell phone buzzed from Sissy's person, prompting the magenta poodle to pick up her phone and answered it right away.

"What's the word, Hilda?"

"Do I really have to tell you, Sissy? You and Linda need to pull that rope right now and get it over with." Hilda spoke in a condensing tone, before hanging up on the poodle.

For a while, Sissy, as well as Linda, was taken aback from the black sheep's last remark. Nevertheless, the two felt obliged to obey Hilda's command and without any further hesitation, the two girls proceeded to pull the rope with all their might, going through the final phase of their plan.

* * *

"...And that's why I didn't like Rachel's friends that much."

As soon as Brian finished his explanation to the Watterson brothers of his brief encounter with Rachel's group of friends, both Gumball and Darwin were somewhat surprised that the purple fox didn't like being around them the moment they met. Then again, their friend barely knew them that much, so they understood that Brian didn't warm up to them right on the spot.

"Maybe you should talk to Rachel about her friends when you get the chance." said Gumball.

"Gumball's right…" Darwin began. "I'm sure she'll understand how you feel about her friends and perhaps she'll talk to them when she gets the chance."

"Speaking of Rachel, where is she? I haven't seen her since we got here." Brian noted.

As the boys pondered about the blue humanoid's whereabouts, unbeknownst to the trio, the bucket right above them was tipping over on its side, revealing the contents. After what seemed to be like an eternity, the bucket finally gave way, spilling down its rotten contents right towards the boys.

But as said contents were speeding down towards the trio, something very strange suddenly occurred. Out of nowhere, Rachel shoved the boys out of harm's way, just as the blue humanoid found ended up covered in the bucket's contents.

The rotten smell from the contents, in addition to the sudden fiasco, prompting every partygoer to stop what they were doing and take noticed almost right away, confused and curious about what had occurred. For a long time, there was a wave of silence all over the warehouse, as no one moved or said a single word. Slowly, but surely, laughter soon filled up with room, as many people started pointing their fingers at Rachel. Among those laughing at her misfortune where Hilda, Sissy and Linda, Rachel's so-called "friends", amused to see that the blue humanoid ended up getting pranked in the process.

"Oh my goodness, I can't believe she ended being such a mess." Hilda cruelly remarked.

"I know right? What a maroon!" Sissy commented.

"It serves her right for getting in the way." Linda said with indifference.

As the girls, along with the partygoers, continued to laugh their heads off, all Rachel could do was stare at everyone, trying her best not to cry while feeling incredibly humiliated from the attention she was getting. Rachel was also understandably hurt, unable to believe what she was looking at: the girls she thought were her friends were clearly happy to see her in this state. To them, she was nothing more than an underling that should have known her place.

As the blue humanoid shed a few tears, hurt by this revelation, what happened next took her and everyone else by surprise.

"So, this is what you have in mind? Did it ever occur to you girls about the consequence of your actions?"

Everyone, including Hilda, Sissy and Linda, stopped laughing and stared at Brian in amazement by his actions. Likewise, Rachel was just as stunned as everyone else, not expecting the purple fox to say anything at all. Before everyone knew it, Brian, along with Gumball and Darwin, walked right besides the blue humanoid, as the trio frowned at the black sheep and her friends, much to their confusion.

"I can't believe that you three would do such a thing like that! I'm more amazed that you three dare to call yourselves Rachel's friends!"

"What's a dumb loser baby like you would know a thing about friends?" Hilda rudely asked.

"For your information, Brian knows a lot of what real friends should be." Gumball replied. "He did the one thing you three have never done: helping someone out when they needed it the most."

"What are you talking about?" Sissy questioned the blue feline.

"What Gumball's talking about is that Brian and Rachel actually got to know one another while he was helping her out." Darwin pointed out.

"What's your point?" Linda deadpanned, clearly annoyed just by talking to the boys.

"You know what I think. I think you girls are just jealous that Rachel was able to make genuine friends." Brian responded.

"WHAT?!" Hilda, Sissy and Linda shouted simultaneously, prompting everyone to stare at the girls, as their face started to blush brightly by the fox's claim.

"You heard what Brian said..." Gumball began. "You and your friends are just jealous that Rachel was spending a lot more time with Brian than with you three."

"I couldn't agree more." says Darwin.

"How dare you!" Hilda shouted at the trio, the blush on her face getting brighter by the moment.

"We dare because we are standing up for a friend who didn't deserve to be treated like she was nothing!" Brian retorted. "Just do us a favor and get out of our sights!"

Hilda, Sissy and Linda couldn't believe what was happening just now. It was bad enough that a bunch of seventh graders were telling them off in front of everyone, but the fact that there were plenty of stares coming from all over the warehouse was starting to prove too much for the girls to handle, especially for the impatient black sheep.

"Come on girls; let's get the flip out of here!" Hilda informed her friends, before the three left the warehouse in disgusts.

"Rachel, are you alright?" Brian asked the blue humanoid with concern.

"Aside from being covered by rotten milk and eggs, I'm good." Rachel replied, grateful that both the fox and his friends stood up on her behalf.

"We're sorry that tonight didn't turn out the way you had hoped." said Gumball, showing his sympathy for her.

"It's alright Gumball; you and your friends didn't know how things were going to be like this either." the blue humanoid assured the blue feline.

"That's good to know…" Darwin began. "But right now, let's leave this place. It's starting to get me down."

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement, before they too left the party, deciding that heading back home was the right choice.

* * *

**A few days later…**

Gumball, Darwin and Brian were at their usual spot in the cafeteria, just minding their own business. A few days have gone by since the incident at the party and the trio hadn't seen Rachel for a while after what her so-called "friends" did back there. Needless to say, the trio were becoming very worried, pondering what Rachel has been up to now.

'_Where is she?'_ Brian wondered.

As the purple fox and his friends continued to wonder what became of Rachel, they failed to notice the presence of a certain blue humanoid right behind them.

"Mind if I sit with you guys?" asked Rachel, prompting the trio to turn around and noticed the blue humanoid in front of them, much to their relief.

"Sure Rachel, we don't mind at all." Brian replied, before realizing something. "So, where have you been? We haven't seen you for a while."

"Now that Brian mentions it, you haven't been around school that much." Darwin noted.

"Sorry about that, you guys…" Rachel began, as she apologized to the boys. "I was just having a chat with Hilda and girls for the last time. It took longer than I thought."

"Wait a minute, are you saying-" was all Gumball could say, before Rachel spoke once more.

"That's right Gumball; I cut off all ties with them. After what happened on Saturday, I realized that you three are my real friends."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that, Rachel." says Brian, smiling in response.

"Yeah and I do plan on befriending the rest your friends when I get the chance."

"Don't worry Rachel; I'm sure they'll open up to you in time." Gumball assured the blue humanoid, while Darwin nodded his head in agreement.

"Thank you so much, you guys." Rachel said to the boys, touched that not only did the trio accept her, but that she finally had found some real friends for the first time.

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 36-The Visit: Part 1_

_When Rhonda invites Brian to come by at her house, the purple fox decided to seek some expert help to leave a good impression on his crush._

**Tidbits**

**-Took much longer than I thought, but it turned out pretty good in the end. Hopefully I get to use Rachel again for future chapters.**

**-Once again I want to thank EvelioandZgroup for his suggestion.**

**Thanks again for those who read this chapter and I'll see ya next time!**


	36. The Visit: Part 1

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing Story of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 36-The Visit: Part 1

It was a peaceful evening at the Paxton residence, a modest two story house in a rather nice neighborhood, neither big nor small, but just the right size. For Rhonda, it was still home and a good place for her and her father, Max Paxton.

Max Paxton, like his daughter, is a mouse with yellow fur, but had red hair, was quite fit for his age, had a square jaw and wore a light green shirt, blue jeans and brown boots. In addition, he also owned a store that sold sports equipments, selling high quality gears to his customers with a fair price, usually giving him enough money for the mortgage on the house him and his daughter was living in.

As father and daughter sat at the kitchen table happily eating takeout from Joyful Burger, Max decided to strike up a conversation with Rhonda, if only because he couldn't stand the silence in the room.

"So Rhonda, how was school today?"

"The same as usual, dad." Rhonda replied. "Just getting to my classes on time, staying active and avoid upsetting Principal Pauline all at once."

"I'm amazed that you were able to put up with that everyday." Max noted, relieved that his only daughter could take care of herself.

"You get use to the rigorous schedule. Say, is it alright if I bring a friend over here this weekend?"

"Sure hon. I don't mind at all." the older mouse replied. "Do you plan to bring Edie, Momo or Rose here?"

"Actually dad, this friend happens to be a boy."

The moment Rhonda gave her honest answer to her father; Max did a spit take of the soda he was drinking at the moment. After wiping off the remains with a napkin, he faced his daughter with an incredulous look.

"You're friend is a boy?! He wouldn't happen to be Ivan, would it?"

"What?!" Rhonda asked, aghast to hear that from her father. "I would never be friends with him! Also, before you ask, Scorch is having plans with his aunt and uncle this weekend."

"I see…" Max began, still feeling unease on his part. "If it isn't either of them, who is it?"

"His name is Brian O'Quinn and we've been hanging out for quite some time now. I was wondering if you're fine with that."

Max hesitated for a moment, as the older mouse pondered on what to say next. On one hand, Max was quite protective of Rhonda, considering that her mother passed away six years ago and didn't want to see anything bad happening to her. On the other hand,, this Brian kid seemed to be a trustworthy person and if Rhonda liked him, then there was no reason to doubt her.

His mind made up, Max took a deep breath, before he faced his daughter once more.

"Alright dear, he can come."

"That's great! Thank you so much dad!" Rhonda exclaimed, before she hugged her father.

"Don't mention it." Max said to Rhonda.

Even though the older mouse gave her his permission, privately, he couldn't help but be a bit worried. He didn't expect his daughter to have a male friend out of the blue and couldn't help but feel uncomfortable of the idea that Rhonda has been hanging out with a boy for quite some time.

* * *

The next day at Elmore Junior High, Brian was putting most of the material away in his locker, having already fulfilled their purpose for Miss Simian's class today. Before he could begin walking to join up with his friends at the cafeteria, Brian's cell phone suddenly rang, much to his curiosity, as he pulled it from his hoodie and proceeded to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Hey Brian." Rhonda greeted the purple fox, leaving Brian ecstatic with joy upon hearing the mouse's voice.

"Hey Rhonda, what's up?" Brian happily called back.

"Other than the usual routine at my school, nothing much is happening so far." Rhonda replied. "Anyway, are you busy this weekend?"

"I don't have anything planned yet, why?" asked Brian.

"I was wondering if you could drop by at my place this Saturday and hang out there instead."

The moment Rhonda said those words; Brian stood still in his spot, shocked and surprised to hear this from the mouse. It was the last thing he was expecting to hear from her.

"Brian, are you still there?"

"…Sorry about that Rhonda, it's just that I didn't expect to hear that." Brian replied, scratching his head sheepishly. "Plus, I'm really nervous about coming to your place, especially since I haven't met your dad."

"Don't worry about it; just relax and be yourself." Rhonda assured the nervous fox.

"You know, you're right. Anyway, I'll stop by at your place this Saturday." said Brian, feigning a smile.

"That's great, Brian! Just be there in the afternoon tomorrow. Anyway, I have to go now. Bye!"

Once Rhonda hung up, the smile from Brian's face disappeared, replaced by nervousness and uncertainty, as the purple fox slowly made his way to the cafeteria, thinking of what to do next.

Gumball and Darwin were at their usual spot with their lunches, waiting for Brian to show up. It's been a few minutes since they last saw their friend in the hallway and for some strange reason, the purple fox hadn't shown up yet, something that left Gumball clearly irritated.

'_What's taking him so long? He should have been here by now.'_

As Gumball pondered about this, on cue, Brian finally showed up, as the purple fox made his way to his friends. Just as Gumball was about to say something, both him and Darwin noticed their friend's expression of gloominess written all over his face, much to their curiosity.

"Hey Brian, what's with the long face?" asked Gumball.

"Yeah, you were in a good mood not so long ago." Darwin pointed out, prompting the purple fox to take a deep breath, before offering an explanation to them.

"Guys, Rhonda wants me to visit her place this Saturday and I told her I would come."

"Oh, that is a surprise…" Darwin began. "But if you accepted her offer so eagerly, why are you so down about it?"

"The thing is, I'm quite nervous about it." Brian replied. "The last thing I wanted to do is to make a bad impression. Not to mention I'll be seeing her dad for the first time."

"Now that makes a lot of sense." said Gumball.

"Tell me about it…" Brian began. "Its times like this I wish I had someone who could give me some pointers."

"Don't worry about it, Brian. We'll help you out." Gumball proclaimed, with Darwin nodding his head in agreement. Brian, on the other hand, was hardly impressed by their declaration, much to the duo's confusion.

"Let me rephrase that: its times like this I wish I had someone who could give me **professional** help in my situation."

Both Gumball and Darwin tried to refute the purple fox's statement, hoping to convince their friend otherwise. But after a minute or so of thinking, both the blue feline and the two-legged fish lowered their heads in defeat, unable to come up with anything.

Just as Gumball and Darwin looked down at the floor with disappointment, a certain young pink rabbit showed up to greet the trio.

"Hey guys." Anais greeted them.

"Hey Anais." Brian and the Watterson brothers greeted back, before an idea came to the purple fox.

"Say Anais, are you doing anything this afternoon?"

"I don't think so, Brian. Why-"

Before Anais could finish her sentence, the purple fox suddenly confronted her right out of the blue, much to the child prodigy's curiosity.

"I've got no time to explain, but it's very serious and I need to talk to you right away."

With that, Brian grabbed Anais' wrist and whisked her away from the cafeteria, leaving only the Watterson brothers still sitting at their table. Though perplexed by their friend's action, the duo decided to shrug it off and focused on another unrelated subject instead.

"So Darwin, are you ready to set a new world record?"

"You know I'm always ready, Gumball."

* * *

Normally for Rhonda, a typical day at Elmore Academy would always consisted of her getting to class on time, practicing her athletic skills and not provoking Principal Pauline. But today turned out far different than the mouse could imagined, especially when she discussed her weekend plans with her group of friends.

"Are you serious, girl?!" The green parrot asked incredulous. "You're going to invite that townie in your own home tomorrow?"

"First off, his name is Brian, Edie…" Rhonda corrected the parrot, annoyed by her friend's reaction. "Second, I don't see what the big deal is. Rose and Momo don't seem bothered by the fact that I became friends him."

"The big deal is that townie might try to mess things up the moment he steps inside your house." Edie retorted.

"Edie, that's enough." the tall rose in the elegant plant pot spoke. "It doesn't matter whom Rhonda becomes friends with. As long as this Brian fellow got her trust, then everything is cool."

"Rose got a point…" the peach meekly began. "From what she has told us about him, he seems like a nice guy."

"Whatever you say…" Edie flippantly spoke. "Besides, if he's going to warm up to you this Saturday, then I suggest you should make a few changes of your own."

"What do you mean by that?" Rhonda questioned the parrot.

Before Edie could say anything, Rose suddenly spoke up, cutting the parrot off.

"What Edie meant to say is that you should try to be more presentable. No offense Rhonda, but you need to mellow your tomboyish nature. I think you also could use a change of wardrobe."

"What's wrong with the way I act and dress?"

"Most of the time, you tend to get a bit rough in certain situation." Momo explained. "Also, we never have you seen wore a dress or something nice."

"What exactly are you three trying to say?"

"Look girl, if you're going to have this Brian boy to like you enough, then Rose, Momo and I will teach you everything we know." Edie replied.

"Are you sure that's-" was all Rhonda could say, before the first bell rang, prompting the four girls to quickly made their way to the next class before they were late.

* * *

**Several hours later…**

After Brian told his situation to Anais, the child prodigy, despite being rather hesitant on her part, agreed to help the purple fox out as best as she could and informed him to meet with her at her place after school. As such, Brian honored that promise and made his way to the Watterson residence after school, just in time to see Anais in front of the house.

"Alright, I'm here Anais." said Brian, as the purple fox tried to catch his breath. "Now, are you sure you have some ideas on how I should present myself when I visit Rhonda's place tomorrow?"

"Don't worry Brian; I think I have enough ideas to help you out." Anais assured her friend. "In fact, I think we should begin the first lesson in my room."

"Alright then, let's do this." Brian said to the child prodigy, happy to know that he had found someone who can help him act like a professional.

"This is going to be great!"

* * *

"This is pretty stupid!" Brian shouted in dismay, especially when he found out how the first lesson would be laid out.

Apparently, Brian learned that the first lesson would have him involve learning proper etiquette and though the purple fox didn't mind it, it never occurred to him that it would involved him playing with dolls and tea sets with Anais.

"C'mon Brian, this is only way if you want to show Rhonda that you're a gentleman." Anais insisted.

"Are you sure that you didn't bring me up so I can play with you?" Brian questioned the child prodigy, arching an eyebrow with curiosity.

"…Maybe." Anais responded, her eyes darting away from Brian's.

Brian continued to look at the child prodigy, uncertain whether she was being honest with him or not. Regardless of her reasons, the purple fox decided not to argue any further, waiting to see where this lesson will go.

"Alright Anais, if you say so."

"Thank you so much, Brian. Anyway, here's how it goes…"

While the child prodigy began to discuss with the purple fox about how to act in the right manner, Brian couldn't help but think of what Rhonda was up to now, especially since he'll be seeing her tomorrow afternoon.

'_I'm betting she doesn't have to go through this.'_

* * *

When Edie, Rose and Momo told Rhonda what they had in mind for today, the yellow mouse didn't expect all of them to show up at her house, let alone dropping by in her room. It didn't take her too long to realize what they were planning for today.

"Are you sure you three wanted to do this?" Rhonda asked with a tone of discomfort.

"Don't worry about it Rhonda; we know exactly what we're doing." Edie assured the mouse.

"That's what I'm afraid of." Rhonda muttered under her breath. Thankfully for her, none of her friends seemed to have heard her response.

"Alright then, let's get on with it." said Rose, as the flower made her way to the closet. "First off, you'll need to present yourself to Brian in more appropriate attire."

"What do you mean? I like the clothes I wear."

In response, Rose opened the left side of the closet, which contained nothing but shirts, sweaters and pants, leaving Rhonda curious to wonder what the flower's point was.

"You dress up more like a boy whenever we go out, including the weekends. What I'm trying to say is that you need to show your feminine side every now and then, especially with some of these clothes you barely wear."

Just as Rhonda was about to say a single word, Rose made her way to the right side of the closet, opened it in the process, which revealed an assortments of dresses, which left the mouse rather uncomfortable upon looking at them.

"Do I really have to wear one of those for tomorrow?" Rhonda asked her friends.

"At least do it for Brian. After all, he is your friend." Momo insisted.

Rhonda continued to look at her friends, still having doubts about their help. As the mouse sighed about her situation, she couldn't help but wonder what Brian was up to for the moment.

'_At least he doesn't have to go through this.'_

* * *

Once Brian was finished learning how to have some proper etiquette from Anais, the child prodigy led the purple fox to the backyard for the next lesson. Thankfully for Brian, there were no dolls and tea sets around, much to his relief; it was the last thing he wanted to do after finishing up the first lesson.

"So, what do you have in mind for the next lesson?"

"That's simple, Brian…" Anais began. "Since you and Rhonda played basketball so often, the next lesson will basically going to test your flexibility."

"What does that have to do with me visiting Rhonda's place?"

Anais didn't respond right away and instead picked up a random object and immediately threw it right at Brian, hitting him in the head, much to his surprise.

"OW! What was that for?" Brian demanded, as he rubbed his head.

"Isn't it obvious? The lesson had already just begun." Anais replied.

Before Brian knew what happened next, the child prodigy began to pick up one random object and kept hurling them at Brian, forcing the startled purple fox to block one object after another, all the while trying to figure out what's going on with the Anais' mind.

'_Oh man! Maybe turning to Anais' help wasn't such a good plan after all! She's behaving like Gumball!'_

* * *

It took a long time for Edie, Rose and Momo to choose the right outfit for Rhonda, but eventually, the three girls were able to find what they were looking for and at their insistence, the mouse reluctantly tried them on: which consisted of a green dress with floral patterns and white sandals. Although her friends were impressed by her new attire, Rhonda was hardly happy about it.

"I look pretty stupid in this dress."

"Nonsense Rhonda, you look very fine to us." Edie said to the disgruntled mouse.

"Besides, you should wear such clothes more often." Rose insisted.

"Yeah, I have to agree with them on this." said Momo.

"Anyway, what else do you three have in mind?" Rhonda asked her friends.

Edie, Rose and Momo pondered for a moment, trying to figure what they should do next to help their friend out. After a long while, the three eventually realized what they have in stored for the mouse.

"Are you two thinking what I'm thinking?" Edie asked Rose and Momo.

As if they have already figured out the answer, both girls pulled a makeup kit from behind their backs. Likewise, Edie herself pulled out a makeup kit of her own. The moment Rhonda saw her friends pulling out their makeup kits, the mouse began to feel very unease by what they planned to do with them.

"You're not serious about this, are you?"

"Don't worry Rhonda; we'll just apply one look after the other until we know for sure which one suits you the most." Edie replied.

Rhonda, however, became increasingly uncomfortable by this, as she wasn't thrilled with putting makeup on her face. Even so, her friends insisted that she should at least try them on for Brian. After all, it was just going to be one day, so she might as well get this over with it.

With that in mind, Rhonda took a deep breath and sighed, before she turned her attention to her friends, ready to give them her answer.

"Alright then, I'll give it a shot."

As soon as Rhonda gave them her response, Edie, Rose and Momo smiled, opening up their makeup kit, as the mouse closed her eyes, just wanting for this nightmare to end as quickly as possible.

* * *

Brian couldn't believe how today was turning out for him. After getting through a barrage of objects that Anais threw at him, the child prodigy began showing him a few more lessons, none of which proved to be normal for him.

First, Anais thought he was slouching too much and at her insistence; Brian straightened himself up as best as he can. Needless to say, this wasn't such a good idea and he ended up as stiff as a statue. Thankfully, the child prodigy was able to help him regain his composure after several minutes.

After Brian managed to regain total control of his body, Anais was convinced that the purple fox wasn't lean enough, so she had him run on a treadmill. Unfortunately for Brian, it came with a twist: she had somehow got her hands on a ravenous dog that she put on the treadmill with him, so he was forced to run for dear life to stay ahead of him.

Finally, once Brian was able to survive that nightmare, Anais suggested relaxing his body, so he wouldn't mess himself up when he visited Rhonda's place. At first, this sounded like a good idea and for a while, the purple fox positioned himself in a relaxing manner. But after just a few minutes, the purple fox's eye popped wide open, as he felt several sharp pains all over his body; apparently, Anais thought that adding acupuncture needles would help improved his relaxation and secretly stuck them on the unsuspecting purple fox.

'_I don't know how much I could take more of this.'_ Brian thought, as he removed one of many several needles out of his body. _'I need to come up with a good excuse and fast.'_

"You're still not mad about what happened just now, are you?" Anais cautiously asked the purple fox.

"I'm just irritated that you didn't give me a heads up." Brian responded. "Otherwise, I'm just glad there were no permanent damage."

"That's…good to hear, I guess." said the child prodigy. "Now, I think I have a few more-"

"Actually, I think that's all I need for today." Brian suddenly spoke, cutting off the child prodigy. "In fact, um, I think I need to go now to finish something very important. Yeah, that's it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm positive." the purple fox frantically responded. "Anyway, I have to get going now and thanks for the help."

With that, both Brian and Anais waved each other a goodbye, before the purple fox dashed out of the Watterson residence, just wanting to head back home and get some rest for the day ahead of him.

* * *

Rhonda didn't know how long this was going to take. Putting on a dress and some makeup on was bad enough, now she had to put up with a few more bizarre lessons that her friends had just came up.

After Edie, Rose and Momo agreed on the appropriate look for the mouse, the trio began to explain to her on what she should do next for the afternoon tomorrow, ranging from table manners, postures and personality. Needless to say, Rhonda wasn't enjoying this in the slightest and she doesn't how much more she was going to tolerate this.

'_This is becoming very boring. I need to think of something to end these so-called lessons.'_

While Rhonda continued to ponder on her next move, Edie, Rose and Momo discussed with one another on how much progress they have made helping the mouse out.

"So girls, do you think we done the best we can for our friend?" asked Edie.

"I don't know about that, Edie…" Rose began. "Why don't we talk to Rhonda and hear what she had to say?"

"Rose is right; we should ask her and hear what she had to say." Momo softly spoke.

Agreeing with both the rose and the peach, Edie and her friends turned to Rhonda, ready to ask the mouse her opinion.

"So Rhonda…" Edie began. "Is there anything you want to-?"

"Oh, look at the time." Rhonda suddenly said, before she got up and led her friends out of her room. "I have to, um, catch up on a few assignments for Mr. Dull's class. Yeah, that sounds about right."

"Are you sure you want to call it a day?" asked Rose.

"Oh absolutely, it was nice and all, but I'll see you three next week at school."

"Alright then, if you say so." said Momo, before she, Edie and Rose find themselves out in the front yard, while Rhonda quickly closed the front door.

"Man, what a day." the mouse muttered under her breath, as she wiped off most of the makeup on her face, before she went upstairs, before making her way to her bedroom.

As soon as she opened the door to her bedroom, Rhonda noticed her cell phone ringing on her bed, prompting the mouse to pick it up and answered it, curious to see who was calling her at this hour.

"Hello?"

"Hey Rhonda." the voice responded. It didn't take Rhonda too long to know who it was at the end of the receiver.

"Hey Brian, its good hear from you." said Rhonda, relieved that something good actually happened today.

"Yeah, it's good to hear from you too." Brian said to the mouse, as he lied downon the couch. "So how was your day?"

"Not as good as I had imagined. How was your day so far?"

"…It got complicated and to be honest, it was one I was glad to get out of."

"That's good to hear, Brian. Anyway, I'm looking forward to your visit tomorrow."

"Same here."

With that, both Brian and Rhonda hung up their cell phone before becoming anxious about tomorrow afternoon, uncertain as to how the day will turn out.

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 37-The Visit: Part 2_

_Brian's visit to Rhonda's house doesn't go out as planned for either of them._

**Tidbits**

**-For Max, the father of Rhonda, I envisioned Clancy Brown (best remembered for voicing Lex Luthor, among other roles) doing his voice.**

**-I finally have the chance to introduce Edie, Rose and Momo, Rhonda's friends from Elmore Academy, although they appeared way earlier in chapter 12 of this story (at the time, the three weren't given names).**

**-For Edie, I imagined Kali Troy (whose voice role includes Trixie from American Dragon: Jake Long & Rocket from Young Justice); for Rose, I had Tara Strong in mind; for Momo, I imagined Andrea Libman (who happens to be the voice of Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie).**

**I hope everyone enjoyed this and I'll be seeing ya next chapter!**


	37. The Visit: Part 2

**I just wanted to thank wiseguy1107 for his suggestion in this chapter.**

**Anyway, read and enjoy!**

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 37-The Visit: Part 2

It was Saturday afternoon in the town of Elmore and normally for Brian; he would be watching TV, reading a comic book or playing some video games. Today, however, proved to be an exception for the purple fox, as he find himself standing in front of the Paxton residence. Ever since Rhonda invited him to her place yesterday, Brian, fearing that he would make a complete fool out of himself, sought Anais' help, despite things not turning out the way he had hoped.

Even so, the purple fox decided to use what the child prodigy had taught him, determined that the last thing he wanted to do was to leave a bad impression on both her and her father.

"Alright Brian, you can do this." the purple fox muttered to himself. "All you have to do is just leave them a good impression and it'll be done and over with."

With that, Brian took a deep breath and made his way to the front door of the Paxton residence, before he rang the doorbell. After a few seconds, the door finally opened, revealing Rhonda.

"Hey Rhonda, how…are…you…"

Brian trailed off the moment he got a full glimpse of the mouse and he couldn't believe what he was looking at. Expecting to see Rhonda in her casual attire, the mouse was instead wearing a green dress with floral patterns and white sandals. In addition to this, she also had some eyeliners and rouge applied on her face. Needless to say, Brian wasn't able to say anything and ended up speaking in incoherent gibberish instead.

"Brian, are you alright?" asked Rhonda, perplexed to see her friend's unusual demeanor, prompting the purple fox to snap right back into reality.

"Oh, I'm fine Rhonda, thanks for asking." Brian said to the concern mouse, as he rubbed his head sheepishly. "Seriously, why do you look like that?"

"I…decided to try something new for a change." Rhonda half-heartedly responded, decided it was best not to let her friend know what really happened yesterday.

"I see." said Brian, as he arched an eyebrow with curiosity. "Well, it looks good on you."

"Thanks, I guess. Anyway, come right inside Brian."

Happy to hear such words, Brian walked right inside the Paxton residence and was amazed by how neat and organized it was inside. It looked rather cozy and cleaned, which somehow doesn't surprised Brian in the least bit. Still, he was amazed that he got a first glimpsed of what Rhonda's place looked like.

"Wow, this is such a nice place you have." Brian commented, prompting Rhonda to smile back. "By the way, where's your dad? I haven't seen him that much."

"If you're referring to me, I'm right behind you." a rough voice spoke, prompting the purple fox to turn around and stopped dead in his track, stunned to see who he was staring at.

In front of him is a well-built mouse, slightly taller than his dad, who had yellow fur like his daughter, but his hair is red instead of brown, along with a square jaw. He wore a light green shirt, blue jeans and brown boots. From what Brian could tell so far, it was clear that this older mouse is the father of his secret crush and judging from his expression, he seemed to be somewhat suspicious of him, much to his discomfort.

'_Oh man! It looks like it'll be a lot tougher to get on Mr. Paxton's good side.'_

"Brian, what's the matter?" asked Rhonda.

"Oh, it was nothing Rhonda. I just…didn't notice your dad was right behind me." Brian quickly explained, not wanting to make anything awkward.

"I guess that makes sense." said Max, still a bit weird out by the fox's behavior. "Well, as you probably figured out, I happen to be Rhonda's father. My name is Max Paxton and I want to welcome you to-"

Before the older mouse could have a chance to shake hands with Brian, the purple fox suddenly slapped his hand back, much to Max's confusion.

"Sorry, it wasn't on purpose, I swear." Brian insisted, freaked out that he had used one of Anais' unusual lessons from yesterday.

"That's alright, everything is cool." Max assured the startled fox, even though the older mouse was somewhat dumbfounded by this. "Anyway, just make yourself at home and be on your best behavior."

With that, Max excused himself from the living room, leaving just Brian and Rhonda in the room all by themselves.

"What was that just now?" asked Rhonda.

"It…was something I accidentally picked up." Brian replied, deciding that it was best she didn't know what had occurred yesterday afternoon.

"I see then." said Rhonda. "Well, since you're here now, let me show you around."

Brian couldn't help smile, as his cheeks blushed slightly in response, happy to know that his secret crush was willing to give him a quick tour around her house. Maybe the day won't be so bad after all.

But then, Brian felt a sudden chill down from his spine, as the purple fox slowly turned around to see Max just a few inches away from him, looking at him suspiciously. It was clear to Brian that the older mouse didn't fully trust him yet, a task that the purple fox soon realized wasn't going to be so easy to accomplish.

'_Oh man! This is going to be a very long day.'_ Brian thought, before he followed Rhonda's lead, hoping he could at least avoid the older mouse's glares as best as he could.

* * *

**4 hours later…**

Today wasn't turning out to be an enjoyable one for Brian, thanks to the action of a certain older mouse, as the purple fox soon ended up at the dinner table, sitting between Rhonda and her father Max, the latter still looking at him wearily all day long.

For the last several hours, Max had continued to keep a close eye on Brian during his brief tour around the Paxton residence, whether it would be Rhonda's room or the backyard. The older mouse's glares only caused Brian to become increasingly uncomfortable with this and just being at the dinner table with him was only making things much more awkward.

'_Geez Louise! I don't know how much I can take of this! There's got to be a way to at least end the day on a good note.'_

As Brian continued to ponder about his situation, both Rhonda and Max looked at the startled purple fox; it had only been a few minutes and Brian had yet to make a single move. Although Rhonda was very worried for the purple fox's well being, Max, on the other hand, remained rather wary of Brian, waiting to see what kind of action he'll make.

"Brian, are you alright?" Rhonda asked, finally breaking the silence, as the purple fox snapped back into reality.

"Oh Rhonda, I was…thinking of something else." Brian nervously replied, not wanting to get the mouse worried.

"That would explain why you were so silent for so long." Rhonda noted.

"Rhonda's right, you haven't said a single word since we got to the dinner table." Max finally spoke, oblivious to the fact his presence was the reason Brian hadn't said anything all day.

"I apologized for giving you and daughter the silent treatment…" Brian began. "It's just that all day long, you've been eyeing on me around the house. No offense, but it's starting to make feel unwelcome around here."

"Now that he mentions it, I notice that you've been behaving like that since this afternoon." Rhonda noted. "Dad, just give Brian some space and give him a chance. After all, he is one of my friends."

Max pondered for a moment, thinking what his daughter had just said to him. The older mouse had to admit, he was getting too tough on Brian and not once, had he gave the purple fox a chance to prove his worth. The least thing that Max could do is just back off for just a moment and make Brian feel like at home.

Having thought of all of that, Max turned to Rhonda, ready to give his daughter his answer.

"All right, sweetie. I promise I'll go on easy on your friend."

"That's all I wanted to hear. Thank you so much dad." Rhonda said to her father, happy that the older mouse decided to give Brian the benefit of the doubt, while the purple fox himself was relieved to hear Max's answer.

"Now that everything is crystal clear, why don't we just dig in?" Max suggested.

"Sounds like a good plan to me." said Brian, before he and the Paxtons began to eat their dinner.

* * *

After everyone had a good and satisfying meal, Brian and Rhonda decided to watch some TV to pass the time. As promised, Max gave both the purple fox and the mouse some space, in spite of his reservation of having a boy around the house. Even so, Brian was glad that he got to spend some time alone with Rhonda for a change, just him and the mouse in the living room.

'_Now this is more like it.'_ Brian happily thought.

While he was in the midst if his thoughts, the purple fox suddenly felt someone tapping him on his shoulder, prompting Brian to turn around and see Rhonda staring at him, much to his curiosity.

"I have to say, you surprised me today with your table manners and overall etiquette. I didn't expect to see that from you. That and you were behaving rather out of character."

"Oh, it was nothing, really." Brian said to the mouse, before the purple fox realized something. "I'm quite surprised that you were behaving rather modest. Not to mention that your personality was much more feminine."

"I…just thought that I would give it a try, at least for today." Rhonda said half-heartedly, flustered to hear such things from Brian, all the while not revealing why she was behaving like this.

For his part, Brian just looked at the mouse, a bit weirded out by Rhonda's reaction to his last statement. However, he decided that it was not the best time to talk about such details. Right now, he just wanted to sit down and watch TV with his crush. At least, that was the plan until…

"Oh crud." Brian muttered, as he got up from his couch and held his stomach.

"What's wrong, Brian?" Rhonda asked, worried for the purple fox's well being.

"It's nothing much, except that I really need to find a bathroom and fast." Brian explained to the mouse.

"The closet one is right upstairs." Rhonda informed the fox.

"Thanks for the help." said Brian, as he made his way upstairs and into the bathroom, as he closed the door behind him for some privacy, before he could relieve himself.

* * *

**A few minutes later…**

"Man, what a relief." Brian said to himself, as he pulled his pants up before flushing the toilet.

But as the purple fox made his way to the sink and washed his paws, Brian suddenly heard a few gurgling noises coming behind him. A look of horror formed on his face and slowly, the purple fox turned around and much to his dismay, the toilet had been backed up, as the water is slowly rising up.

'_You have got to be kidding me!'_ Brian fearfully thought, shocked by this sudden turn of event.

As the purple fox desperately tried to find a quick solution to his situation, Brian spotted a plunger near the toilet, much to his relief. Without any hesitation, he immediately grabbed it and used it on the toilet, hoping he wasn't too late.

"This had better work." Brian commented, as he continued to pull and push the plunger.

After doing this a couple more times, Brian pressed the handle on the toilet, hoping that his effort was enough to unclog the toilet. Initially, the water was starting to recede, much to his joy.

"Yes, its working." said Brian "I can't believe its really working."

Unfortunately for the purple fox, the joy was short-lived, as the water inside the toilet starting to rise up much more, leaving Brian mortified once more in his situation.

'_This can't be happening!'_ Brian thought. _'Of all the places, why did it have to be in Rhonda's house?!'_

As Brian desperately tried to figure out what to do in his situation, it was then that he realized he still had his cell phone with him. It was a good thing that he always carried with him every single day and he was just glad to have with him right now.

"Desperate times calls for desperate measures." Brian muttered, before he pulled his cell phone out of his hoodie, hoping that Gumball and his siblings were still at home and praying that at least one of them could offer him a solution to his problem.

* * *

It was just another afternoon for Gumball, Darwin and Anais, as the brothers were playing video games, while Anais, as always, was playing with her Daisy the Donkey doll. Aside from a few mishaps around the house, it was an otherwise uneventful day. At least, it was supposed to be, until the phone suddenly rang, prompting Gumball to pause the game and make his way to the phone to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Gumball, thank goodness you're here!" Brian happily exclaimed. "Listen, I'm going to say something very important, so promise me that you won't freak out."

"Don't worry Brian, I promise I won't react in any shape or form." Gumball assured his worried friend.

"That's a relief."

Brian then gave a brief explanation to the curious blue feline about what had happened so far in Rhonda's house up to his current situation. As soon as the purple fox told him what had occurred in the bathroom, Gumball, his eyes wide opened and a look of incredulous on his face, couldn't believe what he had just heard.

"You clogged the toilet?!"

"Not so loud, Gumball! " Brian pleaded. "I thought you said you wouldn't freak out."

"Sorry about that, Brian. I just didn't expect THAT to happen at Rhonda's place, that's all." Gumball explained.

Just then, Darwin and Anais approached their older brother, both curious to know what's going on.

"Hey Gumball, what was that about just now?" asked Darwin.

"Wait, don't-" was all Brian could say, before the blue feline cut him off by answering his brother's question.

"Brian clogged the toilet in Rhonda's house."

"GUMBALL!"

"That's what you said." Gumball spoke defensively. "Anyway, I've got nothing for you, so I'll just hand the phone to Darwin right now."

With that, the blue feline handed the phone to his younger brother, allowing Brian to have a conversation with the two-legged fish.

"Hello Brian, what do you need help on?"

"Well Darwin…" Brian began. "I was hoping that maybe you could tell me how to unclog the toilet. The last thing I wanted to do is to face Mr. Paxton's wrath."

Darwin paused for a moment, trying to come up with a solution, while Brian could do nothing but wait, fearing that Max would show up at any moment and demand an explanation from him. It was the last thing that he wanted to do and it would make the situation even worse. Eventually, Darwin finally found one way to help his friend out.

"Hey Brian, is there a cabinet in the bathroom?"

"Sorry if I asked the obvious, but why?"

"Look around the cabinet to see if there is cologne, lotion or a brush lying around."

"Alright Darwin, if you say so." an uncertain Brian spoke, before he opened up the cabinet and found some lotion, cologne and a brush.

"I found the necessary items Darwin, now what?"

"Just applied them on your face and used the brush on your hair."

Brian was still confused where this was going, but for the moment, he decided not to argue with the two-legged fish and did what he was told, as he put some cologne on his, rubbed some lotion on his paws and brushed the three strands of hair on his head. At that moment, the purple fox finally decided to ask his friend once more.

"What does this have to do with unclogging the toilet?

"It doesn't." Darwin happily replied. "But when you get out of the bathroom, you'll be looking clean and fresh."

"DARWIN!" Brian angrily shouted back, causing Darwin to recoil with shock. "I can't believe I followed your stupid instructions! Do you know how mad I am right now?! If I wasn't in Rhonda's place right now…"

As the purple fox continued on with his angry rant over the phone, scolding the two-legged fish for not helping him out at all, Darwin pulled the phone away from his ear, before he covered up the receiver with his flipper and turned to his siblings with an oblivious look.

"Brian is really having a bad day." says Darwin, prompting both Gumball and Anais to facepalm by their brother's comment.

"I think you've done what you can Darwin." Anais said to her brother. "Why don't I take it over from here and help Brian out?"

"Sure." Darwin replied, as he hand the phone to the child prodigy.

"Brian, just calm down for a moment and listen to my instructions." Anais informed the stressed out purple fox.

"…Alright Anais, if you say so." Brian complied, calming himself down. "What do you have in mind?"

"Have you tried using the plunger?"

"Actually, that was the first thing I did…" Brian began. "But it did nothing to unclog the toilet."

"Oh, never mind then." Anais commented. "Wait a minute, I got it! Removed the lid from the toilet and I'll instruct you from there."

Brian did as he was told, taking the lid off from the toilet and put it on the ground, before talking to the child prodigy once more.

"Alright, I did what you told me to do. So what do I do now?"

"Look for a lever inside the toilet. Once you do, just lift it up. It'll stop the water from overflowing."

'_This had better work!'_ Brian thought, as he spotted the lever inside the toilet and lifted it up, just as he was instructed. Before the purple fox know what was happening, the water suddenly began to flush down, leaving Brian relieved with joy.

"That was a close one." Brian commented, as he put the lid back in place and put everything back the way it was, before he picked up his cell phone from his hoodie.

"Anais, it looks like it worked." the purple fox informed the child prodigy. "Thank you so much for the help."

"Don't mention it. I was just helping a friend out, that's all."

"Regardless, I really owe you a big one. By the way, before I hang up, just let me say one thing to you and your siblings."

"What's that?" asked Anais, before she turned on the speaker for her, Gumball and Darwin to hear.

"I don't want any of you to mention this again in the future."

"Don't worry Brian, our lips are sealed." Gumball assured the purple fox, before Brian hung up, just happy that he was able to get himself out of an embarrassing situation.

* * *

It had been several minutes since Brian went upstairs to use the bathroom. Initially, Rhonda didn't think too much about it, but when the purple fox didn't come back from the bathroom; the yellow mouse was starting to become worried, prompting her to go up and check on him to see what was going on.

"Brian, are you alright in there?" asked Rhonda.

"I'm fine Rhonda!" Brian called out. "I'm just, um freshening myself up, that's all."

"Are you sure about that? You've been in there much longer than usual." Rhonda noted.

"It was…complicated, but everything is fine."

Rhonda was quite puzzled by the purple fox's last statement and somehow, she was still suspicious by his answer. Even so, the yellow mouse decided not to question him further and for her sake, maybe it was for the best.

"Alright then, if you say so. I'll be waiting downstairs when you're done."

With that, Rhonda went back to the living room to wait for Brian to finish up, just as the purple fox slowly opened the bathroom door, looking both sides to make sure that the coast was clear. Relieved that no one else was in sight, the purple fox was about to make his way downstairs when a certain older mouse suddenly spoke out of the blue.

"So, did you managed to finishing unclogging the toilet?"

Brian stopped dead in his tracks; his face frozen with fear, as the purple fox slowly turned his head around and saw Max standing right behind, with a look of amusement on his face. Brian doesn't know what the older mouse was thinking, but whatever it is, this won't look good for him.

"Mr. Paxton, I could explain…" Brian nervously began. "I was just relieving myself, that's all. I didn't mean to-"

Max suddenly raised his hand, prompting the purple fox to stop talking, as he allowed the older mouse to speak up about what had occurred just now in the bathroom.

"Don't worry, Brian. I won't tell Rhonda what happened in there. To be honest, I was quite impressed that you were able to act quickly on your feet."

"Oh, it was nothing, really." said Brian, as his cheeks slightly blushed with embarrassment. "I actually got help from my friends."

"Regardless, you did a fine job yourself." Max said to the purple fox. "Look, I'm sorry that today didn't turn out the way you had hoped for. As a matter of fact, I owe an apology for making you feel rather unwelcome in this house."

"It's all good, Mr. Paxton." said Brain, accepting the older mouse's apology. "It's understandable that someone like you can be rather protective of someone like Rhonda."

"Glad we came to an understanding."

"So, does that mean we're cool then?"

"Other than the fact that you almost made a mess in the bathroom, yes, we're cool." Max responded. "Now just relax and make yourself at home. You do need a break after what happened."

Brian nodded his head in agreement, before the purple fox turned around and headed downstairs, while Max looked on, somewhat happy that Brian was able to leave a good impression with him.

* * *

The rest of the afternoon at the Paxton residence went on without any further incident, as Brian was able to enjoy himself hanging out with Rhonda, whether they were playing a game of basketball or just talking about random things. When the sun was starting to set, Brian realized that he had to get home on time and with Max's approval, the purple fox found himself escorted back to his place with Rhonda by his side.

"Today turned out quite nice, wasn't it Rhonda?" asked Brian.

"Well, things did become rather awkward around the house…" Rhonda began. "But yeah, it turned alright in the end."

"That's good to hear." said Brian. "Look, about everything that happened…"

"That's alright Brian, I get it that you were only behaving like that just so you didn't upset my dad. Truth is, I really didn't want to wear this dress or put makeup on today. In fact, I really didn't like the way I was behaving myself."

"Really?" a surprised Brian asked the mouse.

"Yeah." Rhonda admitted to the purple fox. "The only reason I'm like this today is because I took my friends' advices yesterday. Even though I didn't want to go through it, I did it anyway just as a precaution."

"You know, the same thing happened to me as well…" Brian began, much to Rhonda's surprise. "I was also taking some 'lessons' from Anais yesterday as well and it turned out that it wasn't such a good idea after all. Seriously, she can behave just as erratically as Gumball."

"Wait a minute, are you saying that you went into similar circumstances that I went through for today?"

"That's pretty much it."

Once Brian gave his answer to Rhonda, there was a long, awkward silence between the fox and the mouse, both still surprised by the other's admission. Eventually, the two burst into laughter, as they couldn't believe that they went through almost similar situations as the other has gone through.

"Oh man, that was the funniest to ever happen to us." Brian commented, as he attempted to keep a straight face.

"I couldn't agree more, Brian." said Rhonda. "I'm just amazed that we actually took advice from our friends."

As Brian and Rhonda continued to laugh their heads off about their ordeal, it was at this point that the duo finally made their way to the O'Quinn residence, as the fox and the mouse were standing right next to the front door. It was then that Rhonda began to start off the conversation.

"Well, here we are Brian. Before I head back, let me just say that I'm happy you stopped by. I really enjoyed myself."

"Anytime Rhonda; it was nice getting to know your dad. He seems like a really cool guy."

"I'm glad that you felt that way. Honestly, I'm surprised that my dad managed to warm up to you."

"Well, I think I might have left a good impression on him."

"That's very good to hear from you. Anyway, let's promise each other that we'll be ourselves the next time."

"Don't worry, that is one promise I will keep."

Once Brian and Rhonda made their agreement, the mouse couldn't help but smile, glad to know that her friend will honor such a promise.

"Thank you Brian. Anyway, I have to get going now. Bye."

With that, Rhonda turned around and walked her way home, but not before she waved at Brian, who in turn, waved back at her. Satisfied by this, the purple fox went inside the house, just as Gordon came downstairs to see his son.

"So Brian; how was your day at Rhonda's house?'

"It was fine dad, just fine." Brian happily replied, still smitten that he was able to spend some time with Rhonda.

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 38-The Amnesia_

_When Brian accidentally gave Mr. Robinson amnesia, he, Gumball, Darwin and Anais have to help the older puppet regain his memories._

**Tidbits**

**-I'll have to be honest; this didn't turn out the way that I had hoped for. Still, I want to make sure that I manage to complete this chapter.**

**-In some way, Max Paxton is somewhat similar to Mr. Fitzgerald, though in Max's case, he's more than willing to give Brian a chance to prove himself.**

**-Once again, I wanted to thank wiseguy1107 for his suggestion.**

**Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and I'll see ya next time!**


	38. The Amnesia

**I just wanted to thank EvelioandZgroup for coming up with this chapter idea.**

**That said, read and enjoy!**

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 38-The Amnesia

It was just another typical afternoon for Gaylord Robinson, better known as Mr. Robinson, as he happily read the newspaper and drinking a cup of coffee. At least, it was until he heard something crashing through the window, as a baseball landed in his cup, splashing coffee all over the disgruntled puppet's face.

"Sorry about that!" a voice called out.

Mr. Robinson could only grumbled in response, before the older puppet got out of his seat and made his way to the front door, determined to confront the perpetrator responsible for destroying his window. As soon as he opened it, he was greeted by a certain blue feline; a two-legged goldfish and a purple fox he's starting to get use to, each carrying a baseball bat. Upon seeing the latter's expression of guilt, it didn't take Mr. Robinson too long to realize who hit the baseball to begin with.

"May I ask why you wrecked one of my windows again kid?"

"It was an accident, Mr. Robinson. I swear, I never meant to smash your window on purpose." Brian explained.

"Just like the time that you repeatedly smashed my windows for the last few weeks?" Mr. Robinson pointed out, causing the purple fox to only wince in response.

"Mr. Robinson, Brian just said he was sorry." Darwin said to the older puppet.

"Can we at least please get our ball back? We promise, we'll play somewhere else so it won't happen again." Gumball pleaded.

Mr. Robinson pondered for a moment, thinking what the blue feline had just said to him. For the last few weeks, Gumball and his friends have been playing their baseball game in the backyard and every time their fox friend hits the ball, he ended up wrecking one window after another. Even though deep down Brian wasn't doing it on purpose, it still irked the older puppet. But after hearing Gumball's pleas, he decided to let it go for the moment.

"Alright Gumball, I'll give the ball back, provided that you and your buddies will go somewhere else."

Gumball and Darwin rejoiced after hearing Mr. Robinson's answer, while Brian could only sigh in relief, as the older puppet gave the baseball back to the blue feline.

"That said…GET OUT OF MY SIGHT THIS INSTANT!" Mr. Robinson angrily shouted, before he slammed the front door.

"Mr. Robinson is such a nice guy." Gumball happily commented, ignorant of the older puppet's action.

"I know Gumball…" Darwin began "It was a good thing that he gave back our baseball. Isn't that right Brian?"

"Um…yeah, Mr. Robinson did the right thing." said Brian, feigning a smile for his friends.

"As much as I want to talk about Mr. Robinson all day, we should head to the park and play our game there. At least we won't bother him." Gumball informed his friends.

"Sounds like a good plan." Brian said to the blue feline.

With that, the trio left the Robinson residence and proceeded to make their way to the park, as Brian looked at Gumball and Darwin, oblivious to the older puppet's rude demeanor.

'_Man, there so positive that they'll block anything negative around them. No wonder they don't see Mr. Robinson as the grouchy old man he really is.'_

* * *

Mr. Robinson looked through the window, watching Gumball, Darwin and Brian from a distance. Once the boys disappeared from sight, the older puppet let out a sigh of relief, knowing that he won't be bothered by them for the entire day.

'_At long last, I finally have some peace and quiet.'_ Mr. Robinson thought, as he happily made his way to his chair.

But halfway to his destination, the older puppet stopped dead in his tracks, as Mr. Robinson found himself staring at his wife. For some reason, Margaret had two suitcases next to her, much to his confusion.

"What's with the suitcases, Margaret? Are we supposed to go on vacation or something?"

In response, the older female puppet leaned towards her husband and quickly whispered something into his ear. As soon as Margaret was done with her conversation with Mr. Robinson, her husband looked at his wife with his eyes wide open.

"You're visiting your parents this weekend?"

Margaret tilted her head, somewhat annoyed that her husband had forgotten that she was going to see her parents. She even brought this up on several occasions almost everyday and assumed Mr. Robinson would have remembered it by now.

"Sorry for upsetting you like that, Margaret." Mr. Robinson apologized, as he rubbed his head sheepishly. "It's just that I've been preoccupied by Gumball and Darwin's new buddy. He keeps smashing our windows with his baseball."

The moment Mr. Robinson mentioned the boys' name; Margaret's annoyance was replaced by concern, as she looked at her husband rather worriedly.

"Everything will be fine, Margaret. The boys are playing far from here and they won't be bothering me for the rest of the day. You just spend some time with your family and I look after the house."

Margaret continued to look at her husband, not convinced by his assurance. But as much as the older female puppet wanted to dwell on this, it was neither the time nor place to do so. Right now, she needed to make sure that she would get to her parent's house before traffic picks up.

With that in mind, Margaret picked up her suitcases, kissed Mr. Robinson on the cheek and quickly walked to the front door, before she started the engine and proceeded to drive off to her destination, leaving the older puppet on his own in the house.

"Well, this might be my lucky day." said a joyful Mr. Robinson. "Now, I could finally have some peace and quiet."

* * *

Several minutes had passed since Gumball, Darwin and Brian left the neighborhood, but the trio couldn't care less about time for the moment. After making their way to the park, the trio decided to resume playing their game, without any further interference.

"Alright Gumball, it looks like it's your turn." Brian called out to the blue feline, as he prepared to swing the baseball bat.

"Are you sure about that?" Gumball questioned the purple fox. "No offense, but every time you hit the ball, it ends up crashing into something…"

"…Or hitting someone in the head." Darwin added.

"Don't worry about it, you guys. We're in the park, so I doubt I'll hit anything." Brian insisted.

Gumball and Darwin looked at one another, unsure of whether or not they should trust their friend's judgment. At the same time, they just wanted to have some fun. After all, they did promise Mr. Robinson that they would be playing elsewhere, hoping that they wouldn't destroy one of his windows again.

With that in mind, Gumball threw the baseball right at Brian, as the purple fox swung the baseball bat as hard as he can, hitting the ball right on target. But the purple fox ended up hitting the baseball too hard, sending it far away from the boys, as they could do nothing but stare.

"Where do you think its going?" asked Darwin.

"I don't know, but we should follow the baseball and see where it landed." Brian replied.

"Brian's right; lets just get our ball back right away." said Gumball.

Agreeing with their next course of action, the boys immediately tracked down the baseball, hoping that, wherever it landed on, it would be at a safe spot that they can easily retrieved it.

* * *

It had only been a few minutes, but Mr. Robinson was already enjoying his time alone, relaxing on a lawn chair, drinking iced tea and reading the newspaper in the backyard. He hadn't seen Gumball, Darwin or Brian anywhere in sight and the older puppet prayed that it stayed that way, even if it's only for the day.

"This is the life." said Mr. Robinson, as he took a sip from his drink.

While the older puppet continued to idle around, unbeknownst to Mr. Robinson, a baseball was soaring through the sky and before long, the ball was slowly descending its way towards the older puppet, pulled by the gravitational force, increasing its speed with each passing second.

Sensing that something was amiss, Mr. Robinson got off from his lawn chair and looked up, just to see the baseball heading right towards him.

"Oh crud." was the last thing Mr. Robinson said, as the baseball promptly hit him squarely on the head, leaving the older puppet completely dazed, before everything around him became dark and he fainted in his own backyard.

* * *

Gumball, Darwin and Brian couldn't believe what had just happened. By the time they located their ball, the boys were stunned to find Mr. Robinson lying in the backyard with a huge lump on his head. Thankfully for them, Anais, who witnessed what had happened to the older puppet, was already in the backyard inspecting Mr. Robinson's unconscious body by the time the trio showed up.

"Anais, how's Mr. Robinson?" asked a frantic Gumball, as he, Darwin and Brian approached the child prodigy.

"Don't worry Gumball; Mr. Robinson is fine for the moment." Anais assured her brother, much to his relief. "It's amazing that the baseball didn't fracture his skull."

"Oh…about that…" Brian began, as he rubbed his head sheepishly. "I might have something to do with it."

"Jeez, you think?!" Gumball shouted at his friend, as Brian could recoil from his friend's outburst. "You could have caused Mr. Robinson to kick the bucket!"

"Gumball, it wasn't on purpose, I swear!" Brian reacted defensively.

"Guys, this is no time for arguing." Darwin spoke out, getting himself between his friends. "Right now, we should just wait for Mr. Robinson to wake up and gave him a proper apology."

"Speaking of which, Mr. Robinson is starting to wake up." Anais informed the boys, as the older puppet was starting to stir, rubbing the lump on top of his head.

"Mr. Robinson, are you alright?" asked Gumball.

"Who's Mr. Robinson?" the older puppet muttered, before he notice Gumball, Darwin, Anais and Brian in front of him. "More importantly, who are you people?"

Gumball, Darwin, Brian and Anais looked at one another, both shocked and worried by Mr. Robinson's behavior. It was the last thing they ever expected to happen.

"Anais, why is Mr. Robinson behaving like that?" Darwin asked his sister.

"Judging from his clueless expression, I'm going to have to diagnose him with amnesia." Anais replied.

"Oh my goodness, that's terrible!" Gumball shouted with horror, before he looked at Anais with a dumbfounded look. "What's amnesia?"

Anais, astonished that her older brother had no idea of the term, face palmed in response, before she took a deep breath and began to explain to Gumball.

"Amnesia is the result of losing memories due to physical and psychological traumas. Fortunately, the effects can be temporary."

"I heard they can sometimes become permanent." Brian added, prompting Gumball to gasp in horror.

"Are you saying that Mr. Robinson might not know he is anymore?!"

"Let's not jump to conclusion Gumball." said Brian, as the purple fox attempted to calm the blue feline down. "We'll just have to find a way to jog his memory back, that's all."

"Brian's right, Gumball…" Anais began. "All we have to do is find something that Mr. Robinson will be familiar with. That way, his memories will no longer be suppressed and he'll be back to his old self in no time."

"Then what are waiting for, you guys? Let's do this." Darwin stated.

"Sorry if I interrupt anything…" Mr. Robinson apologized, garnering him attention from the four kids. "But would any of you mind telling me what's going on?"

"Don't worry Mr. Robinson; we'll help you return to your old self." Gumball informed the confused older puppet. "But for now, just trust us on this."

"Well…alright kid, if you say so." said Mr. Robinson, before the four led him out of the backyard, hoping that his amnesia didn't cause too much damage.

* * *

The four agreed to take the amnesiac older puppet to the Watterson residence, in the hopes that both Richard and Nicole would jog Mr. Robinson's memories enough to help him remember who he is. The older puppet, for his part, was just looking around the living room and couldn't help but be amazed by their living arrangements.

"Do you kids live like this all the time?"

"We sometimes do, Mr. Robinson." Gumball admitted. "But we manage what we have around here."

"That sounds reasonable enough." said Mr. Robinson, before something came to his mind. "By the way, are you sure 'Mr. Robinson' is my real name?"

Before Gumball could answer the older puppet's question, he, along with his friends, stopped what they were doing, as Richard and Nicole came downstairs, curious to wonder what was going on, until they spotted Mr. Robinson, much to their discomfort.

"Oh Mr. Robinson, I didn't expect to see you here." Nicole nervously spoke.

"What brings you to our house today?" Richard cautiously asked.

"Believe me; I don't have the slightest clue myself." Mr. Robinson replied, much to Richard and Nicole's confusion. "All I do know is that these kids here are trying to help me remember."

Richard and Nicole look at one another, somewhat dumbfounded by the older puppet's last statement. Eventually, it dawned onto them once they realized what was going on.

"Say Richard, don't you think we have something important to attend to?" Nicole asked her husband, before she nudged him on the stomach.

"Oh, um, yeah Nicole, I think we should do that right now." Richard quickly replied, before focus his attention to the children. "You kids be careful with Mr. Robinson."

With that, both Nicole and Richard went upstairs, deciding it was best not to interfere for now, leaving Brian, the Watterson siblings and Mr. Robinson on their own downstairs, the latter still looking at them with a confused look.

"So who were those people just now?"

"You mean…you didn't recognize them?" asked an astonished Brian.

"Believe me kid, if I did, I would know them right away."

Brian and the Watterson siblings could do nothing but sigh, dismayed that Nicole and Richard's presence didn't do anything to help Mr. Robinson and it was clear to them that this task is going to prove to be a lot difficult than they thought.

* * *

For Rocky Robinson, it was a moment of peace and relaxation in his own department, especially with all the duties he had to pull off around Elmore Junior High. After all the hard work he put up in the school, it was good to have some peace and quiet for a change. Or at least, it was supposed to be, until someone was knocking on the door, much to his surprise.

'_Now who could that be?'_ Rocky thought, before the orange puppet got off of his seat and made his way to the door. Upon opening it, Rocky was surprised to see Gumball, Darwin, Anais and Brian in front of him, along with his dad. Wait a minute, why is his dad here to begin with?

"Would you care to explain why you guys brought my dad here?" Rocky asked, hoping to get some answers out of them.

Brian and the Watterson siblings didn't answer the orange puppet's question right away, as they could only cringed in response, while Mr. Robinson looked at Rocky with a look of confusion on his face, before focusing his attention to the four.

"Are you sure this fellow is my son? No offense, but he seems rather off."

Rocky was stunned to hear this from his father and was dumbfounded to know that the older puppet didn't recognize him like always. Sensing something was very wrong, the orange puppet looked at the four kids, arching an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Long story short, I accidentally gave Mr. Robinson amnesia and since then, me, Gumball, Darwin and Anais have been trying to help him remember who he is." Brian explained.

"That makes more sense now." Rocky commented. "So basically, you want me to help jog my dad's memories back so he can be his old self once again?"

"That's why we're here in the first place, Rocky." said Darwin.

"Yeah, so can you at least try your best to help Mr. Robinson?" Gumball asked the orange puppet.

Rocky pondered for a moment, thinking of this unusual situation presented to him. Even though he had a complicated, if awkward, relationship with his parents, a part of him still loves them enough to at least make them feel very proud of him.

With that in mind, Rocky turned to the four, ready to give them his answer.

"Alright you guys; come on in and I'll see what I can do."

Gumball, Darwin, Anais and Brian let out a sigh of relief, as they, along with Mr. Robinson, went inside Rocky's apartment, hoping that he would be able to help his dad out.

* * *

**10 minutes later…**

Brian, along with Rocky and his friends, sat on the couch, dismay that everything they had tried did little to help Mr. Robinson out to return to his old self.

First, Rocky decided to call the Old Men up to his place, hoping that the older puppet would at least recognize one of them. Instead, the Old Men began talking nonstop of their youths, none of which helped Mr. Robinson out at all, prompting the five to ask them to leave the apartment.

Next, Brian and the Watterson siblings convinced Rocky to talk his dad about his childhood experience, ranging from his first day at school to his high school prom date. Amazingly, it appeared that Rocky's attempt prompted Mr. Robinson to ponder for a moment, as the older puppet tried his best to recall some of them. Unfortunately for the five, Mr. Robinson just shook his head in disagreement, much to their disappointment.

Recently, Gumball and Darwin attempted to recreate certain scenarios in front of Mr. Robinson; whether it was the time they tried to help him out with his marriage or the time that they tried to clean up his car. Despite admitting that their reenactments were vaguely familiar to him, Mr. Robinson still wasn't able to remember who he is.

"Geez Louise! No matter how hard we try, nothing's working!" Brian shouted, frustrated that the older puppet remained clueless throughout the entire day.

"We can't give up yet, Brian. We still need to help Mr. Robinson out." Gumball pleaded.

"But we try everything we could think of Gumball. Despite our best attempt, he still has no idea what we're talking about." Darwin gloomily pointed out.

"For once, I have to agree with Darwin on this one…" Anais began. "We did the best we can to help Mr. Robinson out. Let's face it, we've tried everything and nothing worked."

"Maybe you guys haven't tried everything." Rocky spoke out, prompting both Brian and the Watterson siblings to turn their attention to the orange puppet.

"What do you exactly meant by that?" asked Brian.

"Does my dad still have his white Cadillac back at his place?"

"Why would that be important?" Gumball questioned Rocky, prompting the orange puppet to take a deep breath before he could offer the blue feline an explanation.

"This might sound stupid, but…"

* * *

After Rocky explained to the four on what he had in mind, the six of them returned to the Robinson residence and just as they expected, Mr. Robinson's white Cadillac was still on the driveway, just the way it was all day. But before they could pull this idea off, Brian turned to Rocky, still unsure of his plan.

"Are you sure this is the only way it'll help Mr. Robinson remember who he is?"

"I'm positive about this, Brian." Rocky replied. "If there's anything I know about my dad, his white Cadillac is his joy and life. Believe me Brian; he cares about it just as he cares about my mom. If this doesn't work, I don't know what else will."

Brian pondered for a moment, thinking of what Rocky had just said right now. If the orange puppet was right about this, then there was no doubt that Mr. Robinson will regain his memories and his entire identity. On the other hand, however, this plan might be all for nothing, just like everything else. Even so, the purple fox realized that he and his friends needed to take a risk on this one.

With that in mind, Brian sighed before he turned his attention to Rocky, ready to give him his answer.

"Alright then, let's do this for Mr. Robinson."

"That's music to my ears." Gumball spoke, as he pulled a tire iron from the white Cadillac's trunk and proceeded to make several dents on the vehicle.

"Gumball, what the flip are you doing?" a surprised Brian asked his friend, before he grabbed the tire iron from the blue feline.

"Isn't it obvious Brian? I'm trying to hit Mr. Robinson's car enough for him to remember." Gumball replied casually.

"We're not here to damage his car; we're supposed to make it look like it was damaged." Brian explained.

"Brian's got a point…" Darwin began, much to the purple fox's satisfaction. "Besides, you're doing it all wrong."

"Darwin, what are you-" was all Brian could say, before the two-legged fish suddenly pulled out a spray paint can from his back and proceeded to make several random drawings on it, much to the purple fox's chagrin.

"Darwin, that's not what I have in mind! Cut it out already!" Brian shouted, before he grabbed the spray paint can from the two-legged fish's flipper.

"Oh c'mon Brian, I'm just trying to help Mr. Robinson out." Darwin complained. "Besides, I haven't seen you come up with any ideas!"

"Now that he mentions it, all you've been doing is complaining." Gumball pointed out.

"Oh really?" Brian asked his friends, as he crossed his arms and gave the two an unimpressed look.

As the boys continued to argue with one another, Rocky, Anais and Mr. Robinson could only stand and watch as the scene unfold right in front of them, the latter just as clueless as he was, before he turned his attention to the orange puppet and the child prodigy.

"Are they always like this?" the older puppet questioned the two.

"You get use to it." Rocky replied. "But don't worry dad, they aren't that bad."

"That's good to hear…I think." Mr. Robinson spoke with uncertainty. "Also, don't call me 'dad' for the moment; it's just too weird for me."

"Sorry." Rocky apologized, as he rubbed his head sheepishly.

"I'm sorry for interrupting you two, but I'm just going to try to settle things between those three." Anais informed the puppets.

Both Rocky and Mr. Robinson nodded their heads in agreement, before the child prodigy made her way to Brian and her brothers, still arguing with one another on how to help the older puppet out.

"Would you guys knock it for just a moment?" Anais shouted.

The trio ignored the child prodigy, as they were focused on their arguments, prompting Anais to sigh in exasperation, before she attempted to get their attention once more.

"Hello…are you three even listening to me?"

As Anais attempted to get their attention, the child prodigy stepped on a small rock, causing the child prodigy to begin slipping. Despite her best attempt to regain her balance, Anais eventually fell on her back, accidentally hitting the white Cadillac in the process, prompting Gumball, Darwin and Brian to turn around and saw Anais on the ground.

"Are you alright Anais?" asked Brian, as he, Gumball and Darwin helped the child prodigy up on her feet.

"Don't worry about it, you guys. I'm fine." the child prodigy informed the boys.

Just then, the four kids noticed the white Cadillac acting rather erratic, as the vehicle was shaking rather violently. After doing this for a few more seconds, the white Cadillac finally caved in, bursting into several smaller pieces in the process, much to their shock.

"Guys, something's going on with my dad." Rocky alerted the four, prompting Brian and the Watterson siblings to turn around and saw a look of shock on Mr. Robinson's face. It was as if something inside him had lit up; it was clear that seeing the car in ruins had done the trick.

"Wait a minute…" Mr. Robinson finally spoke. "I think I actually seen this before. In fact…"

* * *

**7 years ago…**

It was just another day for Mr. Robinson, back when his entire head was covered in red hair, as he happily washed his brand new white Cadillac. He couldn't believe how much it cost when he purchased it and he loved it just as he loved Margaret. In fact, once he was done giving his sweet ride a few touch ups, he can happily cruise around the neighborhood and show it off to all the neighbors. After all, nothing could go wrong on this day. Or at least, that's what he had hoped for until…

"Hello Mr. Robinson!" a high pitch voice greeted the older puppet, prompting Mr. Robinson to turn around and see a five year old Gumball, dressed in a green shirt and blue overalls, looking at him rather innocently.

"Who are you kid?" the older puppet politely asked.

"My name is Gumball Watterson sir and I lived right next to you." the young blue feline happily replied, before he pointed to the sky blue house just a few inches away from him.

"I see." Mr. Robinson commented. "Anyway, what is that you need?"

"Is it alright if I help you, Mr. Robinson? I promise I'll be on my best behavior." Gumball pleaded.

"Well…alright, I suppose." The older puppet replied, much to the young blue feline's joy, before Gumball pulled a magnifying glass from his pocket and began inspecting the white Cadillac. Upon further inspection, the young blue feline stopped what he was doing and couldn't believe what he was looking at.

"Mr. Robinson, I think you missed a spot." Gumball informed the older puppet, pointing to the car's hood.

"Are you sure about that kid?" Mr. Robinson asked, as he made his way to Gumball.

"See for yourself."

As Gumball put the magnifying glass much closer to the Cadillac's hood for the older puppet to see, without warning, the car suddenly burst into flames, much to their shock. Before they knew it, the entire Cadillac was engulfed and in a matter of seconds, the vehicle dispersed into ashes.

While Mr. Robinson stood on the spot with a look of disbelief, all Gumball could do was laugh nervously of his actions, before dashing back into his house, leaving the older puppet to mourn for his loss.

"My…CAR!"

* * *

A few years had passed and Mr. Robinson, by this point, was approaching his retirement. The older puppet still had some hair, but some of them have thinned out, while the rest remained on the side and back of his head. As always, the older puppet was just finishing up cleaning his white Cadillac; he had to admit, he did a good job with the vehicle. Now all he has to do is take it for a drive and-

"Hi there Mr. Robinson!"

Mr. Robinson could only shuttered in response and with some reluctance, the older puppet turned around and saw Gumball, whom by now, was attending grade school, wearing a red shirt and grey shorts, alongside with a fish with two legs, wearing only a pair of sneakers, much to his curiosity.

"Who's this fellow right there?" Mr. Robinson inquired to Gumball.

"Oh yeah, it's first time meeting him. Mr. Robinson, meet my friend and brother, Darwin."

"Hello." Darwin happily greeted the astonished puppet.

"This fish is your brother?"

"Yeah, he use to be my pet until he grew too legs." Gumball replied.

Mr. Robinson was a bit weirded out to hear such an answer from the young blue feline, but the older puppet decided that it was best not to ask him further about it. In fact, something else came to mind.

"Care to explain why you and your pal are here?"

"That's simple Mr. Robinson…" Gumball began. "I wanted to show you my brother's dance routine."

"Watch and be amazed." said Darwin, as the two-legged fish began to twirl around, showing off his legs. But in the midst of his performance, Darwin accidentally hit the white Cadillac, causing the vehicle to drive off from the driveway, before being slammed into an oncoming truck, flattening the car like it was nothing. Realizing what they have done, Gumball and Darwin nervously backed away from Mr. Robinson, before they quickly dashed their way back in their house, leaving the older puppet to mourn for his loss.

* * *

A few more years had passed and by now, Mr. Robinson had gotten use to the presence of Gumball and his siblings, despite the trouble they caused around him. It didn't help that he had to adjust to the presence of their new fox friend, who, for reasons unknown keeps hitting his windows every time he hits the ball, even though it was an accident. The only good thing about the purple fox was that he was aware of his nature and for once, it didn't bother Mr. Robinson one bit.

Right now, he just wanted to admire the new Cadillac that he had bought. Just looking at this beauty was to bring a smile on his face. So far, everything seems to be in perfect-

"Look out!" Brian shouted.

Startled by this, Mr. Robinson turned around and saw an oncoming baseball heading right his path, prompting the older puppet to quickly dodge it. The same can't be said for the white Cadillac, as the ball hit the windshield, shattering to several piece, much to Mr. Robinson's dismay.

"Sorry about that." the purple fox apologized, as Mr. Robinson could only grumble in annoyance.

* * *

**The present…**

One by one, Mr. Robinson was able to recall everything that had happened to him, which proved to only enrage the older puppet, as his entire face was starting to turn red and steam were shooting out of his ears. It was clear to Brian, Rocky and the Watterson siblings that the older puppet had recovered from his amnesia.

"Um…it looks like Mr. Robinson finally remembers who he is." said a nervous Gumball.

"You don't have to state the obvious." Anais fearfully admonished her older brother.

"What should we do now?" asked Darwin.

"Isn't it obvious Darwin? We get the fudge out of here before Mr. Robinson loses it!" Brian replied.

"I'm with Brian on this one. Believe me, its better we get out of here as fast as we can." Rocky stated.

Accepting the orange puppet's words, Brian, as well as his friends, quickly rushed back to their own homes, just as Mr. Robinson gave out the loudest scream for all of Elmore to hear.

* * *

It had been a very long day for Mr. Robinson, as the weary older puppet made his way inside his own home, picked up an ice pack for his head and sat on the couch, just wanting to get some peace and quiet. After all the trouble that Gumball and his friends put him through, he was far from happy and didn't want to think about it.

On the other hand, however, they and his son did help him recover from his amnesia. Deep down, he was very grateful for their help, even if it did result in the destruction of his white Cadillac. Still, this was no time for thinking about such things; right now, he just wanted to get some rest.

'_Maybe I should show them my gratitude the next time I see them.'_

Just before the older puppet could get some rest, Mr. Robinson woke up almost right away, as the telephone suddenly rang. Ignoring the painful headache, the older puppet made his way to the phone, as he proceeded to answer it.

"Hello?" Mr. Robinson stated, before he received an all-too familiar voice, much to his joy.

"Oh, hello Margaret. Looks like you made it to your parent's house. How's my day? Well, it's kind of a funny story…"

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 39-The Attitude_

_A new kid rubs Brian and the Watterson siblings the wrong way, but they soon discover that there's more to him than meets the eye._

**Tidbits**

**-Man, this was the longest chapter I have ever typed for this story, but it still worth the challenge.**

**-I wanted to thank EvelioandZgroup again for coming up with this chapter idea. I apologize it took so long and I hope I did the best I can with it.**

**I hope everyone enjoyed reading "The Amnesia" and I'll be seeing ya next chapter!**


	39. The Attitude

**I wanted to thank Sal for coming up with this chapter idea, along with his OC.**

**Also, I want to give a shout out to Bda241 as my way of saying thanks for following my story, as well as for his upcoming story "Stay in School".**

**That said, read and enjoy!**

**The Newcomer 39**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 39-The Attitude

It was just another day at Elmore Junior High, as a blue car pulled over to the sidewalk. Once it stopped, the passenger side of the vehicle opened, revealing a kid wearing a gray and blue hoodie, with the hood covering his entire face, a pair of cargo pants and light red shoes, along with a black messenger bag on his back, as he stepped out of the car.

"Alright son, be careful on your first day here." the driver informed his son.

"I'll be fine, dad. Thanks." the kid assured his father.

Once the two exchanged words, the kid made his way inside the school and unsurprisingly, the hallway is filled with various students of his age. Not interested in interacting with his fellow peers, the kid ignored everyone and proceeded to walk down the hallway, garnering curious looks from everyone in the process.

"Hey, who is that?"

"Is he a new student?"

"I've never seen him before."

"I hope he doesn't mind if I borrowed his body for consumption."

'_Jeez, the nerve of these people.'_ the kid thought, clearly irritated by their constant whisperings.

But as the kid was minding his own business, ignoring all the whispers around him, he bumped into what felt like a group of hard objects, falling down on his back, the hood coming down, revealing a badger with maroon fur and grey stripes on his face.

'_What was that just now?'_ the badger thought, rubbing his sore head.

"Hey there, are you alright?" a voice asked with concern.

The badger looked up to the direction of the voice and saw three boys staring right at him: a blue feline, a fish with two legs and a purple fox. Judging from their expression, they appeared to be worried for his self-being

"I'm sorry about that." Brian apologized. "We didn't see you back there."

"We weren't paying attention to where we were going." Gumball explained.

"Anyway, if you need any help-" was all Darwin could say, before the maroon badger got up and stared right at the trio.

"Thanks but no thanks. I got more important things right now." the maroon badger coldly replied, before he quickly passed the shocked trio, disappearing around the corner.

"What was that about?" asked Gumball.

"Beats me, but he was rather rude." Darwin commented.

"Tell me about it…" Brian began. "I don't think I even seen him before."

In the midst of their conversation, the school bell suddenly rang, snapping them back to reality.

"Oh man! We need to get to Miss Simian's class before we get detention!" Gumball alerted his friends.

Nodding their heads in agreement, the trio immediately ran to their class as fast as they can, hoping that they could make it on time.

* * *

Gumball, Darwin and Brian were relieved that they got to their class just in time before the old, cantankerous baboon showed up. Oddly enough, their teacher was quite late as usual and the trio decided to discuss the new guy until Miss Simian showed up.

"So guys, any ideas on what the new kid will do on his first day?" asked Darwin.

"Honestly, I don't know Darwin." Brian replied. "But he should be careful around here."

"Besides, it's not like we'll be seeing him again." Gumball commented.

As the boys continued on with their conversation, the door to the classroom suddenly burst wide open, prompting the trio, along with their fellow classmates, to stop what they were doing, as Miss Simian made her way inside.

"Alright class, settle down for just a moment. As all of you know by now, we have a new student. So, without further delay, I want to introduce you all to Michael Badgero."

Once the elderly baboon finished her words, a certain maroon badger nonchalantly walked his way inside and faced his fellow classmates, much to their surprise, but none more so than Gumball, Darwin and Brian.

'_It's him again!'_ the trio simultaneously thought.

"So Michael…" Miss Simian began. "Is there anything you wanted to say to the rest of the class?"

Michael, or Mike, didn't answer the old, cantankerous baboon right away and instead, simply walked right towards an empty desk next to Brian's. Needless to say, the badger's action stunned his fellow classmates and even Miss Simian was shocked by his actions. It was the last thing they ever expected.

"Mike, what was that about?" asked Brian, clearly irritated by the badger's actions. "You're not going to make some friends around here if you behave like that."

"So does that mean you care of the way I was acting?" Mike asked with sarcasm.

Brian didn't respond right away, irked that the badger would say something like that to him. The purple fox considered countering his claims, but not wanting to get into trouble, especially in front of Miss Simian, he decided to just let it slide for the moment.

"Look Mike, all I'm saying is that you need to change your attitude if you want people to like you more." Brian remarked.

The maroon badger, however, ignored the purple fox's words, as Brian could only sigh in disappointment by his behavior and the impression he had just left on everyone.

* * *

The afternoon had finally arrived, as the school bell signal the students to head out to the cafeteria, as everyone from Miss Simian's class left, with Mike being the last person to come out.

'_Now what should I have for lunch?'_ Mike pondered, as he made just ten steps down the hallway, until a booming voice suddenly spoke out of nowhere.

"Hello there, badger boy!"

Mike paused in his tracks and turned around to see a t-rex, along with a hybrid and toast, staring right at him. While most would dread facing Tina and her gang, the maroon badger, however, was more annoyed than terrified of their presence.

"What do you want?" Mike demanded.

"That depends, badger boy." Tina replied. "You got two choices: give us half your lunch money or you'll suffer the worst beating of your life. What'll it be?"

As Mike continued to glare at the t-rex, unbeknownst to either of them, Brian, who had just came out of the boy's bathroom minutes ago, noticed the scene from where he was standing. Fortunately for him, it appeared that they didn't seem to notice his presence right away, much to his relief.

'_I have to think of something and fast.'_ Brian thought, before he spotted a wet floor sign, along side a bucket of water and a mop that Rocky had left around…wait a minute! That gave him an idea!

Realizing what he had to do; Brian made his way to the mop and picked it up, before he proceeded to call Tina out.

"I choose option 3: mop attack!"

Startled by this, Tina turned around and saw a mop launching right at her, landing directly on the t-rex's face. Roaring in agony, as the soap made its way to her eyes, Mike took advantage of this and ran through Tina's legs, making his way to the wet floor sign, as the badger quickly discarded it from around the corner to prevent Tina from noticing it, just as the carnivore was able to see once more.

"Where did you go, you little runt?!" Tina shouted, determined to find the maroon badger at all cost.

On cue, the carnivore heard a loud whistle right behind her, prompting Tina to turn around and saw Mike from a very long distance, as the badger hid a puddle of water behind him. For her part, the t-rex smiled rather sadistically.

"You're going to get it now, badger boy!" Tina yelled, before she roar and quickly ran right towards Mike.

But the maroon badger, however, didn't bother to move at all, as Mike calmly and coolly leaned back, dodging Tina's jaws, as the carnivore's feet made contact with the water. Startled by this, the t-rex desperately tried to stop, as Tina continued to slide on the floor, until she noticed a wall coming towards her.

'_This isn't going to end well.'_ Tina thought, before she closed her eyes and crashed right through the wall, slamming hard onto the pavement, just as Jamie and Anton showed up to inspect their unconscious friend through the hole.

"Do you think Tina is alright?" asked Anton.

"Let's just go down there and find out for ourselves." Jamie replied, before the two proceeded to leave the hallway to check up on their friend.

While Mike couldn't help but smirk in amusement to the bullies' misfortune, Brian, who had managed to avoid getting trampled by Tina earlier, approached the maroon badger with concern.

"Mike, are you alright? You're lucky that you managed to survive your encounter with Tina and her friends."

The moment the purple fox spoke up, Mike turned his attention to him, expressing confusion on his face.

"Why are you so concerned all of a sudden? We barely know each other."

"Isn't it obvious, Mike? I just wanted to help a fellow classmate out and make you feel welcome in this school." Brian stated. "Besides, be glad that I was there to help you out."

Mike continued to look at Brian, somewhat irritated to hear the purple fox's words. He chose to walk right pass Brian, before stopping all of a sudden, turning around to face the purple fox once more.

"Listen, I don't want your help. I can handle myself more than you think." Mike informed a confused Brian.

"Why are you acting like this towards everyone?"

"Sometimes the people you trust the most are your biggest threats. You don't want me as a friend and I don't want you as mine." Mike coldly stated, before the maroon badger turned around and proceeded to make his way to the cafeteria, leaving Brian quite stunned by his answer.

'_I wonder what he meant by that.'_ Brian pondered, before he decided to just head to the cafeteria and informed his friends about his brief encounter with Mike.

* * *

The rest of the day went on without any further incidents, with the exception of Tina having to get sent to the hospital for her incident with the wall, as the school bell rang for the last time, signaling the students to leave until the next day. While most of the students chose to take the bus to get home, Gumball, Darwin, Anais and Brian decided to walk instead, the latter having plans to hang out with them. In the midst of their walk, they noticed a certain maroon badger walking right next to them.

"Strange…" Gumball began. "It looks like Mike is taking the same path as we are."

"Well, this is the first." said Darwin. "Perhaps we could use the opportunity to talk with him."

"Are you sure about that Darwin? He doesn't seem to be the talkative type." Brian pointed out.

"We don't know until we try it, Brian." Anais insisted, before she focused her attention to the maroon badger. "Hello, my name's Anais. How are you today?"

Mike didn't respond to the child prodigy's question nor did he look at the four. Before they knew what happened next, the maroon badger slowly moved away from them until they arrived at the Watterson residence. By then, Mike was three houses away from Brian and the Watterson siblings and already made his way inside his home, though the four were rather irritated by his silent treatment.

"Wow, you guys weren't kidding about him." Anais said to the boys.

"He's been this way all day, Anais." Gumball explained to his sister. "He even brushed off our help when we accidentally bumped into him."

"Even so, I still think he needs to change his behavior before he gets on everyone's bad side." Brian commented

"I don't know about you guys, but let's get back inside and take our minds off it for now." Darwin spoke.

Everyone agreed with the two-legged fish and went inside the Watterson residence, just as the four found Richard and Nicole carrying a basket of flowers and a bag of cookies, much to their surprise.

"Hey kids, it's good to see you back from school." Nicole greeted the four.

"Plus, you guys have arrived just in time." Richard stated.

"What's going on?" asked Brian.

"Oh, we're just getting ready to greet our new neighbors." Nicole replied.

"What new neighbors?" Gumball asked his parents.

"Oh, they live about three houses down from here. From what I heard, their last names are the Badgeros." Richard explained to his son.

The moment the large, pink bunny made that statement, both Brian and the Watterson siblings took a minute or so to realize what Richard and Nicole we're talking about. Needless to say, none of them were thrilled of the idea of facing Mike again, especially for his behavior. Fortunately for them, neither Richard nor Nicole noticed their reactions, as they spoke once more.

"Say, maybe you kids could come with us and gave them a warm welcome here."

"Richard's right on this one. After all, we don't want to give them the cold shoulder. So would you kids do this for us?"

Brian and his friends pondered for a moment to think of an answer. Even though they were still irritated by Mike's actions minutes ago, the four figured that perhaps a warm greeting from them would be enough to change the badger's mind. But if it doesn't work, then nothing else will.

With that in mind, the four turned their attention to Richard and Nicole, with Gumball ready to give them their answer.

"Alright, we'll do it for you guys."

Richard and Nicole smiled in response, satisfied by their son's answer, before the two led the four outside, making their way to the Badgero residence.

* * *

Nicole and Richard, along with their children and their friend, made their way to the Badgero residence, as the large, pink bunny rang the doorbell, as the group waited for someone to come by to the door. A few seconds later, the front door open, revealing a badger with red fur and white stripes, wearing a yellow blouse and green skirt, as she looked at them with curiosity.

"Welcome to the neighborhood." Richard and Nicole greeted the red badger, as the two handed her the basket of flowers and bag of cookies.

"Why, thank you so much." said the red badger, as she allowed them in her house. "My name is Olivia. Can I help you with something?"

"Well Olivia, we were wondering if we could spend some time with you." Nicole replied, as she, her husband and the kids sat on the couch.

"Sure, it's good to get to know a fellow neighbor." said Olivia, prompting Nicole to smile.

"That's very nice to hear. By the way, my name's Nicole and you already met my husband Richard…"

"It's nice to meet you." Richard greeted back.

"…And I want to introduce you to Gumball, Darwin and Anais, my kids, along with their friend Brian."

"Hello." Gumball, Darwin, Anais and Brian greeted simultaneously to the red badger.

"It's nice to meet every one of you." Olivia said to the group, before she focused her attention to the kids. "Did any of you meet my son yet?"

"Actually, we did, Mrs. Olivia, but he really wasn't nice." Gumball replied.

"All day long, he's been ignoring everyone that crossed his path and acted rude towards everyone who tries to talk to him." Darwin explained.

"He even tricked Tina to put herself in the hospital." Anais commented.

"Is he always like this every day or is there more to him?" Brian asked the red badger, causing Olivia to look down at the ground, before she took a deep breath and look at the four once more.

"I understand that he might not be a pleasant boy, but Mike is a very nice kid. It's just that the last school he attended gave him a hard time; especially when he couldn't find any friend with a mutual trust… not after what happened…"

This seemed to mystify everyone as they wondered what she meant, but decided they didn't want to press the matter as they wanted this to be a happy meeting.

"So my husband and I had him transferred to your school, hoping that a change in environment will improve his outlook on others."

'_It still doesn't explain why he is weary of people. _Brian thought. _'I'll just ask Mike myself.'_

"Hon, who are you talking down there?" a voice spoke out, prompting everyone to turn around and saw a badger with dark blue fur and black stripes, wearing a brown vest, a red shirt and khaki pants, coming down from the stairs, surprised to see that he had some visitors in the house.

"Hello, we don't mean to intrude, but we just wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood." Richard explained.

"It's all good, sir. I really don't mind company." the blue badger calmly assured the large, pink bunny. "By the way, my name is Charles, but you may call me Chuck. I also see you met my wife Olivia."

"That's a relief…" Nicole began. "Just out of curiosity, what kind of jobs do you two have?"

"I don't like to brag, but I'm a firefighter and the right-hand badger of the fire chief." Chuck said, chuckling at his own bad joke. "And Olivia owns her own bakery and…"

While Nicole, Richard and Olivia listen in to Chuck, Brian and the Watterson siblings spotted Mike in the backyard, holding a wrench in his paw. Before they knew what happened next, the maroon badger climbed up and over the fence, much to their surprise.

'_What are you up to?'_ Brian thought, before a certain older, blue feline spoke up.

"Kids, are you alright?'

Both Brian and the Watterson siblings snapped back to reality, as the four noticed Nicole, Richard, Chuck and Olivia staring at them with confusion. Not wanting to alert them about Mike's sudden disappearance, Gumball decided there was only one thing to do.

"Sorry mom, we just realized that, um, we should get some gifts of our own to give to the Badgeros. Isn't that right, you guys?"

"Yeah."

"Sure."

"Certainly."

The adults looked at one another, somewhat weirded out by the kids' explanation. Eventually, Richard finally spoke, wanting to break the awkward silence in the room.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Positive, Mr. Watterson and don't worry, we'll be back before you know it."

"Alright then, if you say so." said Chuck. "You kids be careful then."

With that, Gumball, Darwin, Anais and Brian got off from the couch and head to the front door, hoping they could find Mike and confront the maroon badger about his actions.

* * *

**15 minutes later…**

Brian and the Watterson siblings were worn out from following Mike and despite their best efforts to keep a close eye on the maroon badger, he had somehow managed to elude them by the time they were able to track him down to an unfamiliar neighborhood.

Just several minutes ago, the four managed to spot Mike turning around the corner and without any hesitation, they proceeded to follow the maroon badger as quietly as they could, hiding behind garbage cans, mail boxes and even under the sewers. But then, Mike was suddenly walking much faster, forcing the four to pick up the pace. Unfortunately, he proved to be too quick for them and disappeared by the time they reached their current destination.

"Dude, I can't believe he disappeared just like that." Gumball commented.

"I'll say. Where exactly are we?" asked Darwin.

"Now that Darwin mentions it, I don't recall being here at all." said Anais.

"There's a sign right there..." Brian began, as he pointed to one posted just a few inches away from them. "Welcome to Uppermore, the brightest neighborhood in Elmore."

"Judging by the name, it appears that this is a rich neighborhood." Anais noted.

"I'm surprised such a place like this even existed." Gumball spoke.

"Forget about that, you guys. We need to find Mike and see what he's up to." Darwin informed his friends.

Agreeing with the two-legged fish, the four resumed their search for Mike, as they roamed around Uppermore, passing one high-quality house after another, hoping they could catch a glimpse of the maroon badger. But just then, the four stopped in their tracks when they heard a voice they we're all familiar with.

"You four have a lot of nerve coming around here. It's bad enough that you boneheads snuck into Elmore Academy."

Despite their hesitation, Brian and the Watterson siblings reluctantly turned around and much to their dismay, found themselves facing Ivan and his gang. Instead of wearing their uniforms, Ivan wore a sports jacket, with a white shirt underneath it and blue pants, Ray wore green sweater, black pants and cyan sneakers, Lloyd wore a yellow shirt and khaki shorts and Joey, being a Broccoli, didn't wear that much clothes at all.

"Care to explain why your here?" Ivan demanded.

"Look Ivan, where not here to cause any trouble or anything." Brian nervously explained.

"We just got here by accident, that's all." Darwin insisted.

"Besides, we were just…looking for someone, that's all. Yeah, that sounds about right." Gumball quickly spoke, not wanting Ivan or his friends to find out who they were looking for.

"Look, just let us be and we'll leave as soon as possible." said Anais.

"Aw, isn't that cute? These boneheads got lost and are looking for their mommy." Ivan spoke with mockery, as he and his gang laughed their heads off, much to the four's displeasure.

"Say, how about we show these dimwits how we treat people here in Uppermore?" Joey suggested.

"That's exactly what I have in mind." Ivan replied, as he and his gang started to menacingly approach the four, while Brian and the Watterson siblings could only back away from the brutes. As the four continued to do so, Anais noticed sparks flying out of her feet…wait a minute! That's it!

'_Better do this quickly.'_ Anais thought, as she quickly rubbed her feet on the ground, building up a large amount of electricity. Her actions didn't go unnoticed, as Ray spotted the electricity coming out from the child prodigy's feet.

"What are you-" was all Ray could say, before Anais shoots electricity from her finger, shocking Ivan and his gang in the process, before all four fell to the ground unconscious, as Gumball, Darwin and Brian sighed with relief.

"That was some good thinking back there." Gumball congratulated his sister.

"Where not out of the woods yet, Gumball. It'll only be a matter of time before those four recover." Anais informed her brother.

"Oh, I knew it was too good to be true." Darwin moaned in dismay.

"Then let's get the flip out of here before that happens." said Brian, as his friends nodded in agreement, before all four quickly ran to the entrance, just as Ivan and his friends are about to stir up.

* * *

Getting out of Uppermore proved to be much easier than expected, as Brian and the Watterson siblings managed to get through to the gate before it closed. The same can't be said to Ivan and his gang, as the red bear was able to create a hole through the brick walls, much to the four's chagrin, before they went off running, with Ivan and his friends right behind them.

'_Oh man! This is so not coo!'_ Brian thought, as he and the Watterson siblings ran with all of their might, leaping from one backyard after another, with Ivan and his gang doing the same thing.

By the time Brian and his friends got out of the most recent backyard, the four found themselves back in their old neighborhood. But as much as they want to relax, there was no time, as Ivan and his gang were getting closer, prompting the four to run once more, passing both the Watterson and Badgero residence, until they stopped dead in their tracks in the middle of the street when they saw a road construction sign and equipment blocking their path.

"Are you serious!?" Gumball shouted. "They have to have constructions now?!"

As the four realized this, Ivan and his gang managed to catch up with them, despite being exhausted, as Brian and his friends could do nothing but stare with fear and anxiety, having nowhere else to go now, before the red bear and his gang started to approach them.

"Looks like we got you right where we want you…" Ivan began, clenching his fists "You got nowhere to run and you have no dumb luck helping you guys out this time."

"Hey Grizzle Puss!" a certain maroon badger called out, prompting Ivan and his friends to turn around and much to their surprise, saw Mike on top of a fire hydrant, with the wrench mounted on the side. Likewise, Brian and the Watterson siblings was also surprised, but happy, to see Mike as well.

"It's about time someone cleans up your act"

Before the red bear and his gang could do anything, the maroon badger kicked the wrench, unleashing a high speed stream of water towards them, knocking them down to the ground, as Mike got off of the hydrant, turned off the water, and picked up the wrench, just as Brian and his friends approached him with enthusiasm.

"Thank you for saving us back there." Brian congratulated the maroon badger.

"Yeah, you managed to show Ivan a lesson or two." Gumball praised Mike.

"If you didn't show up, we would have been goners for sure." Darwin pointed.

"It looks like we owe you one on this." said Anais.

Mike, however, didn't respond to their words of praises and instead, walked right passed them and made his way towards to Ivan, who soon found himself being stared at an infuriated Mike, his hand gripping tightly on the wrench and his foot on his body, as the maroon badger began to speak.

"It's bad enough that you and your friends have to pick on new students at Elmore Academy just for the fun of it, but it's even worse that you guys decided to make anyone less fortunate than you miserable! Do you think this is some sort of game or something?!"

Gumball, Darwin, Anais and Brian looked on, confused and curious that Mike was somehow familiar with Ivan and his friends, as if they already knew each other. Ivan himself couldn't do anything else except listen to the maroon badger's angry rant.

"I can't believe I once called you a friend. You know, when I snuck out today, I was planning to finish where we left off, Ivan. But after seeing what you were doing just now, I realized that I'll just be stooping down to your level: picking on someone weaker than me. Therefore, I want you and what's left of your dot of a circle of friends to just head back home and stare at the ceiling, and realize that little kid you sent to the hospital beat you at your own game!"

Both Brian and the Watterson siblings were shock to hear what the maroon badger had said. Not only did he know Ivan personally, but he had known him for such a long time. It was then that the purple fox finally understood Brian's last statement in the afternoon.

_'So that's why he's acting like this. No wonder he was weary of us. He was afraid that he would be betrayed again.'_

While Brian pondered in his thoughts, Mike got off of Ivan, allowing the red bear to regain his composure, as his friends also got up to straighten themselves out, before Ivan angrily glared at the maroon badger. For a while, there was an intense silence between them, but eventually, Ivan turned around and walked away, regrouping with his friends.

"Come on, you guys. Let's go." Ivan informed his gang, as he and his friends ran off from the scene, with Mike smiling with satisfaction as he turned around to walk away, until a certain purple fox suddenly spoke.

"Mike, wait!"

Surprisingly, Mike complied with Brian's demand, allowing him and the Watterson siblings to approach him, as the purple fox spoke once more.

"I know we said this already, but we still wanted to thank you for saving us back there. Also, I finally understand what you were talking about and I'm sorry that happened to you. If I had known Ivan was the main reason you were behaving like that in school, I would have certainly listen to you right away."

Mike didn't speak but instead turned to look at the purple fox as he continued to speak.

"Your mom said that you couldn't trust anyone to be there and stand up for you and that you didn't believe anyone would trust you either. I was hoping that my friends and I could convince you otherwise."

Mike couldn't help but chuckle as he looked at the purple fox's speech, before he turned around to face Brian once more.

"Alright, I'll have to admit, you got me good down there." Mike confessed, as the purple fox smiled in response.

"So what do you say? Do you want to be friends with us?" Brian asked the maroon badger, extending his paw to him.

Despite some hesitation, Mike looked at Brian and the Watterson siblings, realizing that, in spite of his behavior towards them, they were more than willing to befriend him. With this in mind, the maroon badger smiled and shook the purple fox's paw, realizing that maybe he can trust them.

"Okay, I'm willing to take a chance. Sorry for how I was acting today." Mike said as he and Brian finished their handshake. Everyone accepted Mike's apology without hesitation.

"Sorry for the intrusion, you guys…" Darwin spoke out. "But we should head back to the Badgero house. I'm sure that Mrs. Mom, Mr. Dad and Mr. and Mrs. Badgero might be wondering where we've been."

"Oh my goodness, I'm almost forgot about them!" said a panicked Gumball.

"Then why are we standing around here for? Let's get going!" Anais exclaimed.

With that, the five kids ran as fast as they can to the Badgero residence, but for Mike, this day would be one he'll never forget, as the maroon badger finally found some friends who would always be at his side, no matter what.

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 40-The Counselor_

_Mr. Small quits his job after Annie questions his skills and soon ends up being his replacement. But Annie soon learns that being a counselor is anything but pleasant._

**Tidbits**

**-I just wanted to thank Sal once again for this chapter idea, along with the creation of Mike Badgero, his OC.**

**-For the voice of Mike, both Sal and I agreed on Jesse McCarthy, best known as the voice of Robin in Young Justice.**

**-For Chuck and Olivia, we both agreed on Jeff Bennett, who is an experience voice actor and Kathy Najimy, who is best known as the voice of Peggy Hill from King of the Hill.**

**I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and I'll be seeing ya next time!**


	40. The Counselor

**I wanted to thank wiseguy1107 and Sal for their suggestions on this chapter.**

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 40-The Counselor

It was another day in Elmore Junior High, as a silver coupe pulled near the school's entrance, before Annie got out of the driver's side of the vehicle and hurriedly made her way inside, carrying a piece of paper in her paw.

"I'm hope I'm not too late." Annie said to herself, running down the hallway. "It's a good thing I found Brian's homework on the kitchen table. Now where could that boy be?"

On cue, the older, purple fox noticed one of the door swing open and saw Brian, along with Gumball, Darwin and Mike, coming out of the room looking dumbfounded, before she noticed a hippie sticking his head out with a smile on his face.

"I hope you four learned a valuable lesson today." Mr. Small informed the boys, before he gently closed the door.

'_What was that all about?'_ Annie thought curiously, before she made her way to her son and his friends.

"Boys, what seems to be the trouble?"

The moment Annie spoke, Brian, Gumball, Darwin and Mike suddenly yelped, before all four turned around and noticed the older, purple fox standing right next to them, much to their surprise.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" asked Brian.

"Oh, I just dropped by to hand you this." Annie explained, as she gave her son his assignment. "Anyway, what was that about just now?"

"Gumball ended up causing a big mess in the science classroom after he mixed up diet sodas with mentos, despite us telling him not to." Darwin informed the older, purple fox.

"I didn't know it was going to react like that!" Gumball defensively said.

"Maybe if you paid attention, we wouldn't be in this mess." Brian snapped, before focusing his attention to his mom. "Anyway, Miss Simian send us to Mr. Small's office, but all he did was confused us with haikus and poetry. Honestly, it didn't help us at all."

"That guy supposed to be a counselor? I thought he was an English teacher with all that poetry he was spewing out!" Mike exclaimed.

"That makes sense now." Annie muttered. "Alright then, you boys just get to class and I'll talk to Mr. Small about his methods."

The four nodded their heads in agreement, before they turned around and headed for their next class, while Annie opened the door to Mr. Small's office and spotted the hippie meditating peacefully on the desk.

"Excuse me, Mr. Small…" Annie began, prompting the hippie to stop what he was doing and saw the older, purple fox in front of him. "I think we need to talk."

"Alright, just give me a few seconds to get myself ready." Mr. Small stated, as he got off from his desk and straightened his body out. "Now, how may I help you ma'am?"

"First of all, my name is Annie O'Quinn. I'm Brian's mother. Second, I wanted to ask you about your methods."

"My…methods?" Mr. Small asked incredulously.

"You see, my son just told me about you teaching him and his friends about what they did wrong using haikus and poetry. Can you elaborate that on me?"

Mr. Small could only twitch upon hearing Annie's words, stunned that someone like her would question him as a counselor. He didn't know what was going on, but the hippie opted to restrain himself for the moment and offer the older, purple fox an explanation.

"You see, Annie…" Mr. Small began "I was just telling Gumball, Darwin, Brian and Mike that they should just look deep into themselves and learn the path that they were going to take if they keep up with their shenanigans, that's all."

"Wouldn't it have been better to just tell them straight up like that?" Annie pointed out, irking the hippie in the process. Fortunately for him, the older, purple fox didn't seem to notice his reaction.

"Look at the time; I need to get busy right. It was nice talking to you, Annie."

Before the older, purple fox could do anything, Mr. Small suddenly shoved her out of his office, slamming the door behind her, prompting Annie to sigh with disappointment by her encounter with the hippie.

"Alright then, it looks like I'm going to need some help with this."

* * *

Today looks like it would be another great day at Elmore Junior High, as Mr. Small walked around the hallway with a confident stride, looking around his surroundings to see if there was a student in need of his help. As a matter of fact, he managed to spot one that needed his help right now, as the hippie made his way to a certain banana.

"Hold it right there, Banana Joe. If you want to become funny, all you have to do is look deep down and find your inner self."

"How does that help me with my comedy routine?" asked Banana Joe.

"It doesn't; I just wanted to say that." Mr. Small replied, before the hippie continued to walk, leaving the banana quite confused by the hippie's comment.

As Mr. Small began to mind his own business, the hippie spotted Teri cleaning the door knobs as usual in her attempt to rid the school of its germ problems, prompting Mr. Small to have a quick chat with the paper bear.

"Now Teri, you need to stop doing this. Your behavior won't get you anywhere in life."

"But Mr. Small, I need to make sure that no one gets infected or else they'll get ill."

"Teri, everyone's going to pass away eventually. In fact, we'll turn to dust and be blown away by the winds." Mr. Small bluntly told Teri, leaving the paper bear utterly terrified, before the hippie walked down the hallway once more.

Just then, Mr. Small spotted Clayton telling his latest tall tales to Idaho, Bobert and Juke, convincing the hippie to take actions right away, making his way to the young clay.

"Now Clayton, you should know that telling those kinds of stories will only get you in trouble." Mr. Small reminded the young clay.

"So, what do you think I should do then?" Clayton asked with uncertainty.

"Simple Clayton…" Mr. Small began. "Just stop telling stories and try to realize that you'll end up like a bum if you keep this up."

Mr. Small's harsh words left the young clay, along with his classmates, utterly speechless, the hippie being oblivious with his actions, as Mr. Small went on his merry ways.

Unbeknownst to him, however, Mr. Small was secretly surveyed by Principal Brown and Annie, as the two had been observing his actions for quite some time. After the older, purple fox informed the furry slug of the hippie's methods, Principal Brown agreed to check up on the matter and even allowed Annie to come with him to investigate the matter. Needless to say, the furry slug was quite disturbed by his colleague's action.

"I have to be honest with you, Mrs. O'Quinn. It never occurred to me that Steve would do that to his students in that kind of manner."

"That's what I've been trying to tell you, Principal Brown. When I first questioned Mr. Small, he just refused to talk to me." Annie explained to the furry slug.

"Don't worry, Mrs. O'Quinn, we'll just confront him and hear his side of the story. Steve can be an understanding man." Principal Brown assured a concern Annie.

* * *

"What do you mean my methods are considered ineffective?!" Mr. Small shouted, shocked to hear what the furry slug had just told him right now.

"Steve, calm down and listen to what I have to say." Principal Brown attempted to explain to the disbelief hippie.

"Nigel, we've known each other for a long time. So why are you questioning me like that?!" Mr. Small demanded.

"Steve, let's be reasonable about this. I always trust your judgment, no matter what." said Principal Brown. "But after what I have been seeing today, I'm worried that you're not taking your role as counselor seriously and Mrs. O'Quinn is also worried as well."

Principal Brown then gestured his hand to Annie, who could only smile sheepishly and wave her paw nervously at Mr. Small. It was then that the hippie realized what was going on.

"Oh, so this is you're doing!" Mr. Small accused angrily, as he got closer to Annie. "I should have known you would cause me so much trouble! This is just your way of getting back at me for what I did to your son, isn't it?!"

"Mr. Small, it's not like that." Annie insisted.

"Alright then, four-eyes, you think you can do a better job than me?!"

"No Mr. Small, that's not what I wanted at all." she replied.

"Well, you're going to get it anyway." Mr. Small retorted. "But first, let me do something very important."

Before Principal Brown and Annie knew what happened next, Mr. Small barged into the principal's office, locking the door right behind him before turning on the speaker and speaking through it.

"Attention fellow students and teachers! This is Mr. Steve Small speaking with a very important announcement to make. Principal Brown and a certain Annie O'Quinn claim that I'm not doing a good job as school counselor!"

Annie could cringe the moment the hippie brought her name up, while students and teachers alike stopped what they were doing and listened in to Mr. Small's angry rants.

"They claim that I'm making things worse instead of improving everyone's lives. If that's how you feel, then fine! But believe me, sooner or later, each and every one of you would beg me to come back. But for now, you won't be seeing me on school grounds. As of right now, I am resigning my position effective immediately!"

Once Mr. Small was finished with his words, the hippie unlocked the principal's door and angrily walked past Principal Brown and Annie, the latter following him, as Mr. Small made his to the main entrance and into the parking lot.

"Mr. Small, please reconsider what you're doing!" Annie called out.

But her pleas fell on deaf ears, as the hippie went into his Volkswagen and drove off, just as Principal Brown showed up.

"Oh my, this isn't very good at all." Principal Brown then turned his attention to Annie, which gave him an idea. "Say, are you interested in becoming the new school counselor?"

"Are you serious?" Annie asked, surprised by the furry slug's suggestion. "I don't know, Principal Brown. I've never tried something like that."

"Oh, don't be so sure until you try it." Principal Brown insisted. "Besides, I think you make a good counselor. You look like the type to listen and understand how a student feels and you could just tell them directly about what they should do. If it'll make you feel better, consider this as a trial before you could make up your mind."

Annie pondered for a moment, thinking of what the furry slug just said. Although she wanted to turn him down, she couldn't but smile by Principal Brown's claims. If he thinks she can handle it, then the least thing she can do is give it a chance.

"When do you want to me to start?"

* * *

The next day, Annie woke up much earlier than usual, as she, along with her son, drove off to Elmore Junior High, ready to start off her first trial day as school counselor. As the two made their way to her office, Brian looked at his mother genuine concern.

"Mom, are you sure you wanted to do this? It might not be all that you have imagined."

"Well, this is only a trial Brian. Don't worry; I won't make my decision yet until the end of this week." Annie replied. "Anyway, just head to class while I take care of business."

Brian nodded his head in agreement, before the young, purple fox left her office to Miss Simian's class. Shortly afterwards, the door to her office opened, as Banana Joe made his way to an open seat.

"Excuse me Mrs. O'Quinn…" Banana Joe began. "Do you think I have what it takes to be a comedian?"

"Don't worry too much about it. Just try to find some new materials and I'm certain that you'll find your calling."

"Wow, I never thought of it that way. Thank you so much." said Banana Joe, before he happily got off and exited out of her office, just as Teri meekly made her way inside.

"Mrs. O'Quinn, is it true that we'll all turn to dust when we pass away and be blown away by the winds?"

"Don't say something like that, Teri. You just need to take a deep breath, relax and be upbeat."

"Alright, I guess I'll give it a shot." Teri stated, before she exited the office, as Clayton hopped his way to the chair.

"Mrs. O'Quinn, do you think that my tall tales will lead me to a life of failure?"

"Not at all, Clayton; in fact, I think you can be a great storyteller and writer in the future."

"That's very kind of you, Mrs. O'Quinn. I never felt better in my life." Clayton thanked the older, purple fox, as he hopped out of her office, as Molly made her way inside.

"Mrs. O'Quinn, I kind of have this problem. You see…"

As the long neck discussed her issues with Annie, the older, purple fox couldn't help but feel better that she helping the students of Elmore Junior High. Perhaps this was something she can do for the rest of her life.

* * *

Normally for Mr. Small, the hippie would have been at Elmore Junior High by now, doing his best to help the students with their problem. But ever since he resigned as counselor, Steve decided to just spend his time relaxing, as the hippie got out of his bed.

"Wow, I never felt this good in my entire life." Mr. Small said to himself, stretching his arms out. "Until they beg me, I can do whatever I want. I know, maybe I should call some friends to hang out."

Mr. Small was about to reach the phone when he stopped dead in his tracks, realizing that most of his friends would be working at school and therefore would not be able to hang out with him, much to his dismay.

"Alright then, I'll just do some meditation then." Mr. Small stated, before he got on a table and attempted it. But after a few minutes, the hippie wasn't able to concentrate for much longer, before Mr. Small sighed in defeat and straightened his composure.

"Maybe that didn't work out at all…I know, I'll just try some soothing music to relax myself."

Mr. Small then pulled out an ePod and attempted to find some music to relax his body and mind. However, after listening to a few songs, the hippie finally gave up and put the ePod away, as Mr. Small could only sulk in his situation.

"I should have thought this through. I wonder how everyone is doing back at school."

* * *

For the last few days, there were no bizarre or unusual events taking place at Elmore Junior High, as Annie was able to help out the students with their situation and so far, the results were rather promising, as one by one, each of the kid were able to come out of the counselor's office feeling much better. Today was no exception, as Anton made his way inside to discuss his issue with her.

"So what brings you here Anton?" Annie asked the meek toast.

"Well, I don't like to complain or anything, but I really want to tell Tina and Jamie off. At the same time, I don't feel like I have what it takes to do it and I'm always back down at the last minute."

"Well Anton…" Annie began. "Here's what you have to do. You just have to be assertive of your position and once you do, you let them know exactly how you feel."

"You're right Mrs. O'Quinn, that's exactly what I'll do." Anton stated, before he happily left the office. A few seconds later, the older, purple fox was suddenly startled by a barrage of punches coming from the hallway.

"Well, that escalated quickly." Annie commented, before she got out of her office. Upon further inspection, the older, purple fox saw Anton standing on top of Jamie and Tina, both covered with bruises.

"Anton!" Annie scolded the toast. "Care to explain your actions?!"

"I did what you wanted me to do, so I let Tina and Jamie knew exactly how I felt." Anton replied, before he got off of the two and happily walked away from the scene, just as Brian and his friends approached Annie with worried looks.

"Mom, you should really be careful next time." Brian cautioned his mother.

"Brian's right, Mrs. O'Quinn…" Gumball began. "It looks like our classmates are interpreting your words differently."

"What do you mean?" asked Annie, arching an eyebrow with curiosity.

"What Gumball meant to say is that you really need to say the right words if you don't want to see this again." Mike replied, pointing to the injured Tina and Jamie.

"This isn't the first time it happened…" Darwin began to explain. "The other day, I saw Masami shocking Tobias for insulting her. Before that, Bobert, the Eggheads and Ocho were arguing with each other over a game."

"Perhaps you should put some boundaries when you're giving out tips in the future." Anais suggested. "Otherwise, things might get hectic around here."

"Don't worry Anais, I'll make sure that everything doesn't get out of control." Annie insisted, before she went back inside her office, prompting the five to look at each other with discomfort.

"Well, things can't get any worse." Brian muttered under his breath.

* * *

Despite what had happened in the last few days, Mr. Small decided to take his mind off by walking outside; getting some needed fresh air for a change. If he stayed in his house much longer than usual, he might go completely insane.

"Alright Steve, you can do this." Mr. Small said to himself. "I'll just think of anything but the school. I know, I'll just look at the clouds to see what shape they're forming."

Mr. Small then looked up at the sky, trying to imagine the kind of shapes the clouds are forming just now.

'_So far, I see a bird, a bee and Elmore Junior High…'_

The hippie trailed off when he noticed the most recent sighting had suddenly turned into a school building. Uncomfortable by this sight, Mr. Small shook his head and walked away, deciding to get a quick bite at Joyful Burger, as he made his way inside to get a meal.

"Alright, I'll just have the number four." Mr. Small ordered, before Larry went to the back to prepare his meal. After what felt like a long time, the rock humanoid came back with the hippie's meal, which, for the strangest reasons, resembled Elmore Junior High.

"You know, I don't feel hungry of all a sudden." Mr. Small said to a confused Larry, before he left Joyful Burger and resumed walking once more, trying to take his mind off of the school and focused somewhere else, like a flock of ducks swarming above him just now.

"That's much better. I could feel myself relaxing."

Unfortunately for Mr. Small, his joy is short-lived, as the flock of ducks began to resemble the school, much to the hippie's horror, as he ran from the sight, all the while trying to figure out what was going on.

'_This can't be happening to me! No matter where I go, all I see is that school! What is it trying to tell me?!'_

As Mr. Small continued to ponder about his situation, the hippie suddenly found himself facing Elmore Junior High, realizing that, in the middle of his thoughts, he had accidentally made his way to the school. Mr. Small continued to look at the building, before a sudden epiphany just came to him: he realized that it's not the school that needed him; he was the one in need of the school.

With this realization, Mr. Small broke down in tears, weeping over the fact that he wanted to go back there so badly, before the hippie straightened himself and made his way home, saddened by his own situation.

'_I'm betting that they would have forgotten about me by now.'_ Mr. Small gloomily thought, lamenting how the day was turning out for him.

* * *

**The next day…**

Today at Elmore Junior High turned out to be anything but pleasant, as the exterior of the building was covered in graffiti, with the windows cracking in different places and the walls becoming badly damaged, making the school appeared like it had came from a war zone.

The interior was even worse compare to the outside; all over the hallway, students and teachers alike were taking arms, each fighting over 'territory' for total control of the school. Just recently, Miss Simian, along with her troops, was making their first move.

"Come my little pretties, engage the enemy!" the elderly baboon shouted, cackling with glee, as her troops let out a war cry and charge.

In the midst of the chaos, Gumball, Darwin, Anais, Brian and Mike were among the few whose sanity had remained, watching the scene unfold from the sideline.

"Yes. Yes it can get worse. Much…much worse." Mike commented, as Gumball glared at Brian.

"You just have to say that word, didn't you?" asked the blue feline.

"I didn't actually expect that to happen." Brian spoke defensively.

"Guys, this is no time for arguments!" Darwin informed the two, getting himself between his friends.

"Besides, I think we have a much bigger problem on our hands at the moment." Mike pointed out.

"Mike's right…" Anais began. "Right now, we just need to check up on Mrs. O'Quinn and see if she's alright."

"Oh my goodness, that's right! Where is she?!" a panicked Brian asked the child prodigy.

On cue, the five spotted a certain older, purple fox down in the hallway, with a megaphone in her paw, with a look of desperation on her face, before she spoke through the megaphone in the hopes that they will listen to her.

"Attention everyone, this Annie O'Quinn speaking; please stop this at once! This isn't what I had in-"

Before Annie could finish her words, Banana Joe suddenly showed up out of nowhere and snatched the megaphone away from the older, purple fox's paw, as the banana began to speak through the megaphone.

"No rules rule everyone! Power to the people!"

As the chaos from within the school continued even further, Annie, realizing that the entire situation was beyond her control, quickly made her way into the office, the only safe spot from the madness, as Brian, Mike and the Watterson siblings looked on.

"It's a good thing to know that she's safe for the moment." said Brian, sighing with relief. "Anyway, let's make our way to her office and see if we can do anything."

Nodding their heads in agreement, the five proceeded to make their way to the counselor's office, all the while avoiding some of the students and teachers' antics along the way. After a few minutes of this, they finally arrived at the office, but not before Brian made a quick peek inside, along with his friends, to check on his mother.

"Mom, are you alright?" asked Brian, prompting Annie to poke her head out from behind the desk and see her son and his friends, much to her relief.

"Oh, it's just you guys. Quick, get inside and lock the door."

The five did as Annie had told them to do, as they approached the terrified older, purple fox, still hiding under the desk from the catastrophe that was still continuing on in the hallway.

"Mrs. O'Quinn, how are you feeling?" Gumball asked Annie, prompting the older, purple fox to take a deep breath before responding to the blue feline's question.

"Oh Gumball, this is not turning out the way I had hope. Despite my best attempt to defuse the situation, my own advice seems to have terribly misinterpreted: I caused so much anarchy around here! All I wanted to do is just help the students out and get them to accept themselves for who they are."

"Believe me Mrs. O'Quinn, being a counselor is not what it seems." Anais informed Annie.

"And you're right; it's not how I imagine everything to be." the older, purple fox admitted. "All I wanted to do is just go back to my job as a therapist and Mr. Small can just get his old job back."

"Then let Mr. Small know about it." Darwin pointed out.

"I don't know Darwin…" Annie began. "I mean, I was responsible for getting him to quit his job to begin with and I'm not so sure if he'll listen to me."

"What do you have to loose? We'll just show up at his place and tell him everything that had happened in the last few days and who knows, Mr. Small might be willing to head back here and straighten everything out." Mike explained.

"And if he doesn't?" asked a worried Annie.

"The school is going to need a good construction crew." Mike said plainly.

Annie pondered for a moment, thinking of what the maroon badger had just said. A part of her was still afraid that the hippie might hold a grudge on her for questioning his methods. On the other hand, she was very desperate for a solution and she would do anything to make sure that she can go back to the way everything it was before becoming school counselor.

Taking one deep breath, Annie got up from under the desk and faced the five, ready to give them her answer.

"Where can I find Mr. Small?"

* * *

After being informed of Mr. Small's location, Annie and the kids quietly snuck out of Elmore Junior High and made their way to the hippie's house, in the hopes of getting everything back to normal. Once they got out of the silver coupe, the six made their way to Mr. Small's house, though Annie was rather nervous of seeing the hippie again after what happened in their last encounter.

"I don't know about this. What if Mr. Small just ignores me before I have a chance to speak with him?" Annie asked with a nervous tone.

"We don't know that until we hear it from Mr. Small himself." Brian responded to his mother's question. "Besides, we don't have any other options right now."

Once the six made their way to the front door, Annie rang the door bell, waiting patiently for Mr. Small to show up. After a few seconds, the hippie opened the door, startled to see Annie, as well as Brian, Mike and the Watterson siblings, standing in front of him.

"Oh…I didn't expect to see you again." said Mr. Small, as he rubbed his head sheepishly in this awkward meeting.

"I'm not good with explanation Mr. Small, so I'll get straight to the point…" Annie began. "Elmore Junior High hasn't been the same since you left and we really need you back."

Mr. Small was surprised to hear this from Annie, but at the same time, he was a bit curious to see what she had to say.

"Please, come right in."

Annie and the kids went inside Mr. Small's house and each of them explained to the hippie of what had occurred in the last few days at Elmore Junior High, from how everything was turning out well until they reached the point where Annie's advice got terribly misinterpreted by the students, resulting in the school becoming a war zone. As soon as they were finished, Mr. Small could only stare at them, astonished by what he had heard just now.

"I'll have to be honest; I'm surprised that it happened like that in just a few days."

"That's why we're here to begin with, Mr. Small. You have to set everything the way it was." said Annie. "After what I've been through, I realized that being a counselor is not at easy as it looks. I never realize just how frustrating it can be."

"So know you know what it's like…" Mr. Small began. "Every day, I wake up to find myself dealing with one problem after another and no matter how much you try, it gets down under your skin to the point that you want to-"

"Tune everything out?" Darwin guessed.

"That's an appropriate way to put it." Mr. Small replied, before resuming talking once more. "I have to admit, the last few days opened my eyes and made me realize that I wasn't doing my job very well and I really miss coming to school."

"Now that we're on the same page, I'm more than willing to make a fresh start if you're willing to." said Annie, extending her paw to Mr. Small's hand.

Mr. Small looked at Annie's paw, before he looked back at the older, purple fox. Despite the rude remarks he made in their first encounter, Annie wanted to just bury the hatchet between them and move on, something that the hippie decided was the best thing to do.

"Alright Annie, apology accepted and I'm sorry for the way I was behaving back there."

Both Annie and the kids smiled, happy to know that Mr. Small forgave the older, purple fox for what happened a few days ago.

"Now, if you don't mind, I got a school to straighten out."

With that, Mr. Small got off of his couch and made his way outside, prompting the six to follow the hippie back to Elmore Junior High.

* * *

The moment Mr. Small arrived at Elmore Junior High and made his presence known, everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at the hippie with astonishment, stunned to see him on school grounds for the first time. Before they knew what happened next, Mr. Small confronted each person, straightening them out for their actions and slowly but surely, the chaos from the school dwindled down by the time the day had ended, as the six stared at the hippie, amazed that he was able to bring some normalcy back to the entire school.

"I got to say, Mr. Small, you've cleaned up all their acts pretty well." Gumball commented.

"Aw, it was nothing Gumball." said Mr. Small, rubbing his head and laughing sheepishly. "I did what I have to do."

"Are you kidding me, Mr. Small? That was amazing back there." Darwin exclaimed.

"I'm going to side with Darwin on this one." Brian agreed with the two-legged fish. "It was a good thing you arrived just in time."

"Otherwise, this place wouldn't be standing anymore." Anais reminded the hippie.

"I'm just glad that everything turned out alright in the end." Mike said to Mr. Small.

"I'm glad you kids felt that way." the hippie commented, before focusing his attention to Annie. "Annie, I just wanted to thank you for making me realize how I need to take my job more seriously."

"Oh, it was nothing really." Annie said to Mr. Small.

"No, I really mean it and I'm grateful for it." Mr. Small insisted. "Anyway, I need to get this school straightened up."

With that, Annie and the kids headed for the school entrance, while Mr. Small decided to make his way to his office, before bumping into Banana Joe, who looked at the hippie rather nervously.

"So, um, what do you have in mind for today?" Banana Joe asked with uncertainty.

"Nothing much, except keep on doing what you like." Mr. Small happily replied, before he resumed walking down the hallway, leaving Banana Joe rather confused.

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 41-The Drawing_

_When Brian accidentally handed his drawing instead of his homework to Miss Simian, he enlists the aid of Gumball, Darwin and Mike to retrieve it before it's too late._

**Tidbits**

**-First time I was able to do a chapter with Mr. Small, as well as one on Annie.**

**-Originally, I considered splitting this into two-chapters, but due to the pacing of this chapter, I decided not to go through with it after all.**

**-I wanted to thank wiseguy1107 and Sal again for their suggestions.**

**I hope everyone enjoyed "The Counselor" and I'll be seeing ya next time!**


	41. The Drawing

**I wanted to thank Sal for his help on this chapter.**

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 41-The Drawing

It was just another typical day in Miss Simian's class and for Brian and the rest of his classmates; the weekend was around the corner, as everyone was prepared to turn in their homework to the elderly baboon.

"Alright class, I expect you to hand your homework ASAP, no exception." Miss Simian declared, before she started off with the closest student.

As each student handed out their homework to the elderly, cantankerous baboon, Brian didn't heed his teacher's announcement, as the purple fox was too busy drawing a caricature of Miss Simian herself. Brian couldn't help but snicker at what he had just drew; all he had to do was show his friends the caricature and see what they think of-

"Brian O'Quinn!" Miss Simian yelled at Brian, snapping the purple fox back to reality. "Turn in your assignment this instant!"

"Oh yeah…um, sure, Miss Simian." Brian quickly said, as he handed the paper to his teacher, before the elderly baboon went to the next student. As the purple fox sighed with relief, he noticed that his assignment was still on his desk, much to his curiosity.

'_That's strange; I thought I handed out my homework to her. How did it…get…there…?'_

Brian trailed off the moment he caught a glimpse of the paper he just handed out to his teacher. Much to his horror, the paper he handed out to Miss Simian was in fact the caricature of his teacher.

'_Oh no; if Miss Simian saw my drawing of her, I'm going to be in big trouble!'_ Brian thought, as the purple fox silently panicked due to his situation, all the while trying to figure out a way to get his drawing back from underneath his teacher's nose.

* * *

The afternoon had finally arrived, as students from every classroom made their way to the cafeteria. But for Brian, his day was turning out to be anything but pleasant; he can still recall seeing his drawing underneath the stack of homework that Miss Simian was collecting and it'll only be a matter of time before the elderly, cantankerous baboon discovered the caricature with her own eyes and Brian has no doubt of the kind of reaction she'll get upon her discovery.

As the purple fox continued to sit at the table with his friends, still worried over his situation, Gumball noticed the look on his face, prompting the curious blue feline to confront the purple fox of his behavior.

"Brian, why are you behaving like that? Come to think of it, you've been acting like that since we left Miss Simian's class."

"Plus, you said you're looking forward to the weekend." said Mike.

"Mike's right, I thought you would be happy after turning in your homework to Miss Simian." Darwin noted, prompting Brian to take a deep breath before giving his friends an explanation to his demeanor.

"Everything would be fine, except that I didn't turn in my homework at all. In fact, I gave Miss Simian a stupid drawing I made of her. If she sees the drawing, who knows what kind of punishment she'll be planning."

"Let me get this straight…" Mike began. "You made a drawing of that old bat?"

"That's besides the point Mike!" Brian stated, somewhat annoyed by the maroon badger's response. "I need to get that drawing away from Miss Simian before she finds out for herself."

"But how are you going to do that?" Darwin asked the purple fox. "You can't just walk up to Miss Simian and ask her for it."

"Darwin's right, Brian; knowing Miss Simian, she's going to be suspicious of your intentions. Besides, it takes clever planning if you want to get your drawing back." said Gumball.

"That's why I need you guys to help me out." Brian informed his friends, much to their surprise. "Look, I really need your help. The last thing that I want is to suffer her wrath due to my own carelessness."

Gumball, Darwin and Mike looked at one another before looking back at Brian, all the while pondering on what to do next. On one hand, they could get themselves in trouble if Miss Simian caught them and they'll be force to serve detentions on Saturdays; on the other hand, Brian was their friend and if it'll make him feel better, they might as well take the risk and at least do their best to retrieve his drawing before he gets into trouble.

Their minds made up, the trio turned to Brian, ready to give him their answers.

"Alright man, we'll do it for you." said Gumball.

"We're your friends and we'll do the best to help you out." Darwin assured the purple fox.

"As long as we don't get caught, we're in." Mike stated. "So, how are you going to get that drawing back and swap it with your assignment?"

"Huddle up and I'll explain everything." Brian replied, as he and his friends gathered up to discuss with each other some possible plans on getting his drawing back.

* * *

Once Brian told them what he had in mind, the purple fox, along with Gumball and Mike, are quietly crawling through the ventilation shaft, trying to find Miss Simian's classroom, while Darwin, at their insistence, stayed behind to look around in the hallway to see if the elderly baboon was heading their way. After what seemed to be like an eternity, the boys finally made their way to Miss Simian's classroom.

"Alright, it looks like we're not too late." said Brian.

"Tell me about it, I'm starting to cramp up over here." Gumball complained.

"As soon as we get Brian's drawing, we'll be out of here in no time." Mike assured the blue feline. "It's a good thing that Tobias was kind enough to lend us his walkie-talkie."

"Speaking of which, you should ask Darwin for updates." Brian stated.

Nodding his head in agreement, Mike turned on the walkie-talkie and proceeded to talk through to it.

"Come in Clueless Scales. Do you see Crazed Fossil yet?"

"Nothing yet…" Darwin began, before he realized something. "Wait, what you called me?!"

"Stay focused Scales! We'll be deep fried and served with ketchup if you don't!" Mike shouted, before hanging up on his friend.

Relieved that Miss Simian hasn't shown up, Brian, Gumball and Mike removed the cover above their teacher's classroom and landed roughly on the floor. Once the boys dusted themselves off and regained their composure, Gumball turned to Brian, hoping the purple fox could come up with an answer to their situation.

"Alright then, what do we do next once we get your drawing?"

Brian didn't respond right away to the blue feline's question and pondered for a moment, before the purple fox noticed the windows right behind them. Upon further inspection, Brian noticed some shrubs and bushes just below them…wait a second! There's the answer to their problem!

Satisfied with this discovery, Brian turned his attention to Gumball, finally ready to give him his answer.

"Once we find my drawing, we'll just jump out of the window and land on the bushes below us."

"Are you serious, Brian?!" Gumball exclaimed. "What kind of plan is that?!"

"Calm down you two…" Mike began, getting himself between the purple fox and the blue feline. "This is no time for arguments. Right now, we need to find that drawing and get the flip out of here before Miss Simian returns."

Agreeing with the maroon badger, the boys began to search the classroom for the drawing, inspecting every nook and cranny of the room, even checking Miss Simian's desk. After about a few minutes, the boys were unable to find the drawing, much to Brian's dismay.

'_Where the hey did Miss Simian put it?!'_ Brian angrily thought.

As the purple fox was lost in his thoughts, it was at this moment that a certain two-legged fish spoke through the walkie-talkie.

"Markings! Come in Markings!" Darwin called out, prompting the maroon badger to pick up the walkie-talkie and answered it.

"Markings here, Clueless Scales. What's the situation?"

"Here comes Crazed Fossil! Get out of there!" Darwin warned his friends, as Miss Simian was making her way to her classroom, just inches away to the door.

"Roger Scales! Over and out!" Mike responded, before turning to Gumball and Brian. "And I mean out!"

With that, the trio proceeded to leap out of the window, just as Miss Simian finally made her way inside her classroom. The boys gave themselves a sigh of relief, before Gumball, Brian and Mike landed on top of the bushes, causing them to yelp and wince in pain. It didn't take too long for the boys to realize that the leaves from the shrubs and bushes were rough and sharp.

"I heard of rough landing, but this is too much for me!" Gumball whined.

"No kidding. I didn't expect it to be this painful." Brian complained.

"Let's worried about that later…" Mike began, before focusing his attention to Brian. "Okay…now what?"

Brian pondered for a moment, trying to think of the next move that he and his friends should take.

* * *

For Miss Simian, it was the same routine that she has been handling ever since she began teaching at Elmore Junior High: checking up on her student's assignment, see if they solved the problems correctly and give them a grade for their effort.

'_As expected, you performance is quite as sloppy as ever Sussie and I mean literally by that.'_ Miss Simian thought to herself.

As the elderly baboon check off one assignment after another, hoping to get a good rest when this is over, the door to her classroom burst wide open, startling Miss Simian in the process, as a panicked Darwin made his way inside.

"Miss Simian, thank goodness you're here! Gumball and Mike are fighting in the hallway!"

Before Miss Simian could have a chance to say anything, the two-legged fish quickly grabbed her hand and dragged the confused baboon outside and sure enough, Gumball Mike were circling each other, while their fellow students were watching the entire scene from the sidelines as spectators, chanting them to fight.

"Gumball, I can't believe you elbowed in my face and not apologized for it." Mike angrily accused the blue feline.

"Mike, it's not what it looks like." Gumball attempted to explain.

But the blue feline's words were ignored; as Mike proceeded to 'grab' and 'pin' his friend down on the floor, all the while making it looked like that they were really fighting to fool the elderly baboon with their act.

'_I hope this really works.'_ Mike thought, before he felt something hard hitting him on the face, sending the maroon badger down to the floor. As Mike lay on the floor, with his hand on his nose, he spotted Gumball up, with a look of panic on his face. It didn't take too long to realize what had happen.

'_I can't believe he actually punched me!'_ Mike thought, before he got up and proceeded to tackle the blue feline down to the floor, much to the crowd's excitement.

"Alright, you two, knock it off immediately!" Miss Simian shouted, closing the door behind her, as she and Darwin made their way to the duo. As the cantankerous teacher tried to defuse the situation, unbeknownst to her, a certain purple fox quietly tiptoed from the sidelines, as he made his way to the classroom.

'_Wow, I can't believe I didn't do this before.'_ Brian happily thought, before he turned the knob on the door. Expecting the door to be opened, the purple fox realized that the door remained close. After turning on the door knob a few times, it didn't take Brian too long to realize what was going on.

"Great. The door is locked and Miss Simian is the only one who can open it." Brian muttered under his breath. "That bites."

Sighing in defeat, Brian turned his attention to Darwin, signaling the two-legged fish with hand gestures. Initially, Darwin looked at his friend, confused by the purple fox's action; eventually, after a few seconds, the two-legged fish nodded his head, understanding what Brian was getting at, before Darwin made his way to his friends, while the purple fox tiptoed away as fast as he could.

Darwin proceeded to tap Mike on his shoulder which told him to calm down as they didn't need to act anymore.

Once the two-legged fish "calmed" Mike, they turned to face Miss Simian, infuriated about their recent actions.

"Miss Simian, this isn't what it look like…" Gumball attempted to explain.

"I don't want to hear any excuses from either you or your friend!" Miss Simian spoke, cutting the blue feline off. "You'll have a lot of explaining to do at the principal's office!"

Both Mike and Gumball could only sigh, as their teacher escorted them to Principal Brown's office, just as Brian made his way to Darwin, once he was certain that the elderly baboon was nowhere in sight.

"Well, that was all for nothing." Darwin commented. "What do you think we should do now?"

Brian pondered for a moment, thinking of the next move that he and his friends should take. Then, an idea came to his mind.

"I think I know one way to get that drawing. It's not much, but…"

* * *

After Principal Brown lectured the two of their 'fight' and scolded them for exhibiting such behavior in front of their classmates, the furry slug allowed them to leave the office and out in the hallway, but not before giving Gumball an hour of detention, while Mike was let go with a warning, since he was new around school.

"I can't believe you actually punch me!" Mike berated Gumball, still rubbing his nose. "You were supposed to be faking it, Gumball!"

"I'm sorry Mike; I just panicked." Gumball claimed. "I didn't think my punch was going to be that hard."

While the two continued to chat with one another about the 'fight', both Brian and Darwin made their way to their friends, prompting Gumball and Mike to stop what they were doing and focused their attention to their friends.

"So how did it go with Principal Brown?" Darwin asked his friends.

"It's just the usual lecture that he gives out as always." Gumball replied.

"So what brings you two over here?" Mike questioned his friends, prompting Brian to take a deep breath and answer the maroon badger's question right away.

"Guys, I think I know a way to get the drawing for sure. One of us will go pull the fire alarm, causing Miss Simian to leave her classroom, so the way, I can sneak inside, swipe the drawing with my assignment and leave before Miss Simian returns. I know it's sounds risky and all, but-"

"Brian, that's enough." Gumball suddenly spoke, prompting the surprised purple fox to focus his attention to his friend.

"It's nothing personal, but I think you have to do this on your own." Gumball explained. "The last thing I want is to get another detention."

"Alright Gumball, if you say so." said Brian, understanding his friend's reason, as he turned his attention to Darwin. "So Darwin, are you in or out on this one?"

Darwin pondered for a moment, trying to think of the right thing to say to his friend. Although he wanted to help the purple fox out, the two-legged fish also doesn't want to get in trouble, especially with his mother, fully aware of how angry she can get if she learned what her sons had done.

His mind made up, Darwin turned to Brian once more, ready to give him his answer.

"I'm sorry Brian, but I have to agree with Gumball on this one. But if it'll make you feel better, I hope you get the drawing before the day ends."

With that, Gumball and Darwin turned to the opposite direction, leaving just Brian and Mike in the hallway, as the purple fox turned his attention to Mike.

"So Mike, what about you?"

Mike rubbed his chin, pondering for a moment to come up with an answer. On one hand, he could get himself in trouble just for helping the purple fox to retrieve one drawing. On the other hand, he already has been in his new school for just a couple of weeks and by now, he slowly gotten use to his friends' shenanigans and somehow they always managed to get themselves out of seemingly impossible situation.

Shrugging his shoulders in response, Mike turned to face Brian, ready to give the purple fox his answer.

"What the heck, I'm not afraid to spend some time in detention."

Brian couldn't help but smile, glad that he was able to get some help. He didn't know how much time he had left until school ends, but right now, he needed to make sure that this third and final attempt counted.

* * *

Brian took a quick peek inside Miss Simian's classroom, seeing the elderly teacher still grading today's assignment. By now, the cantankerous baboon was only halfway done with the assignments and the purple fox had no doubt that she'll soon reach his drawing in a matter of seconds.

'_This is now or never.'_ Brian thought, before he spotted Mike just a distance down the hallway. As soon as the purple fox gave him a thumb up, the maroon badger nodded his head and proceeded to pull the handle, triggering the fire alarm system. At that moment, Brian could hear Miss Simian's reaction to this.

"Oh my! I need to get to Nigel before it's too late!" Miss Simian shouted, bursting through the door, failing to notice the purple fox's presence, much to Brian's relief.

"That was a close one." Brian said to himself, before the purple fox went inside the classroom and immediately began looking for his drawing, discarding one homework assignment after another.

'_Oh come on already! Where is it?!'_ Brian angrily thought, not caring of the mess he made, scattering the homework all over the place.

Eventually, after what felt like an eternity, Brian finally managed to find his drawing among the assignment, relieved that his worries are finally over, as he switched it with the homework he was suppose to give to Miss Simian.

"Alright, got what I needed…" Brian began. "Now, I just have to leave the scene before she…comes…back…"

Brian trailed off when he spotted Miss Simian standing right in front of him, shocked to see the purple fox in the classroom. But the shock was soon replaced by sheer anger, infuriated that someone like Brian would make such a huge mess around here. It was the last thing she would have ever expected all day.

"I don't know what you're up to…" Miss Simian snarled. "But whatever it is, this ends now."

Once the elderly baboon made her statement, Miss Simian began to bang on her chest, howling mad and before Brian knew what happened next, the cantankerous teacher actually lunged right at him. Panic and anxiety soon filled in, as the purple fox barely dodge her attempt to tackle him, before a startled Brian left the classroom and made his way towards a concern Mike.

"We have to go…now!" Brian informed the maroon badger.

Before Mike could say a single word, the maroon badger spotted Miss Simian heading right at him. Shocked to the elderly baboon coming towards them at surprising speed, both he and Brian ran with all of their might, hoping to avoid her wrath as best as they could.

"What'd ya do?!" Mike yelled at Brian.

"I threw most of the assignments aside to get my drawing!" Brian replied. "Besides, I was in a rush!"

All Mike could was shook his head in annoyance, stunned to hear the purple fox's answer. But right now, they need to get rid of the enraged ape on their back…wait a minute! Of course! There was only one way to do!

"Brian, heads up!" Mike shouted at the purple fox.

"Heads up? For-" was all Brian could say, before the maroon badger suddenly grabbed him by the collar of his hoodie and threw him to the opposite direction, passing Miss Simian in the process. Undaunted by this, the enraged baboon turned around and attempted to give chase once more, but before she had a chance, Miss Simian suddenly slammed her face hard, before she fell to the floor unconscious, as Mike looked on with smirk.

'_That'll show her.'_ Mike happily thought, closing the locker door, as Brian managed to regain his composure and confronted the maroon badger about his action.

"What the fudge was that for?! You could have at least given me a warning!"

"What choice did I have back there? It was either that or faced the wrath of Queen Kong." Mike replied. "Besides, weren't you complaining a half hour ago about her killing you or something?"

Brian attempted to counter the maroon badger's answer, but after a few seconds, the purple fox was unable to come up with one, prompting Brian to sigh in defeat.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." said an amused Mike.

"Alright, you proved your point…" Brian began. "Now come on, let's get out of here before-"

Just then, both Brian and Mike felt two hard grips on their shoulder and with great reluctance, the two slowly turned their heads around and to their dismay, Miss Simian had somehow recover, with a look of ferocity that neither of them had ever seen before. Panicked by this, the boys desperately tried to free themselves, only for the enraged baboon to pick them off the floor with ease, stopping them in the process.

"Looks like I caught you two red handed…" Miss Simian began, as she smiled deviously. "Oh, I can't wait to see what kind of punishments you boys will be facing when I'm through with-"

"Hold it right there, Miss Simian!" a certain blue feline shouted.

Startled by this, Miss Simian turned around, with Brian and Mike still in her grasps and much to their surprise; they saw Gumball and Darwin right in front of them.

"What do you want Gumball?! Can't you see I'm busy at the moment?!"

"I can see that, Miss Simian…" Gumball began, as he and Darwin approached their teacher. "But before you could do anything else, Darwin and I just want to let you know something very important!"

As soon as the blue feline made his statement, Miss Simian became quite intrigued by this, before she put Brian and Mike down on the floor, wanting to know what the Watterson brothers had to say.

"You see Miss Simian, all day long, me, Gumball and Mike was just helping Brian to retrieve a drawing that he accidentally handed out to you instead of his homework." Darwin explained.

"Darwin, what are you-" was all Brian could say, before being cut off by Gumball.

"Believe it or not, Miss Simian, it's the honest truth. All Brian wanted to do was get his drawing back and put his homework in its place. All he wanted to do was to avoid getting into trouble because of his actions."

Miss Simian looked at Gumball with incredulity, surprise to hear what the blue feline had just said to her. Even so, the cantankerous teacher had a look of doubt on her face, somewhat unconvinced by Gumball's face, before turning her attention to Brian.

"Do you have any proof to back up your friend's claims?"

All Brian could do was nod his head in agreement, as the purple fox took a deep breath and handed the drawing to his teacher, allowing Miss Simian to see what was on the paper with her own eyes.

The moment the elderly baboon looked at the drawing, she couldn't believe what she was looking at. In her hands was a caricature of her face and somehow, the purple fox was able to nail the features on her face right, even if they were distorted. As Miss Simian continue to look at the drawing speechless, Brian panic in silent, not knowing how his teacher will react next.

'_Oh man, I'm doom!'_ Brian thought, but what came out of Miss Simian's mouth took him and his friends by surprise.

"I don't believe it. This is the best piece of art I have ever seen!"

"Huh?" Gumball, Darwin, Brian and Mike uttered simultaneously, stunned by Miss Simian's answer.

"In all of my life, I have never thought that anyone would make a drawing out of me in all those years. I don't think I have ever been happy in my entire life!"

"HUH?!" As Miss Simian continued to look at the caricature, Gumball, Darwin, Brian and Mike looked at their teacher, astonished with seeing the elderly baboon being so uncharacteristically happy for a change.

'_You can't be serious.'_ Mike thought with incredulity.

After what felt like a long time, Miss Simian was finally done admiring the drawing, before she handed it back to Brian, who was still speechless of her action and focused her attention on the four.

"Normally, I'm supposed to punish you boys for disruptive behavior…" Miss Simian began. "But after seeing Brian's drawing, I decided to cut you four some slack and just brush off this incident just this once."

Brian, Mike and the Watterson brothers gave a sigh of relief to hear that Miss Simian was going easy on them, despite what happened this afternoon, before they turned their attention to their teacher, who gave them a stern and serious expression.

"But next time you have something very important, let me know right away so we don't have to go through the same situation. Are we clear?"

Once Miss Simian finished her sentence, the four nervously nodded their heads, before the elderly baboon smiled; satisfied that she got an answer from them.

"Now, if you don't mind, I have to finish grading."

With that, Miss Simian walked right past the four, leaving Gumball, Darwin, Brian and Mike in the hallway, still stunned by today's surprising outcome.

"Well…" Mike began, breaking the silence. "That was easy."

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 42-The Geezer_

_When Annie invites her parents over this weekend, Brian is hardly happy by this, especially since he has to deal with his cantankerous grandfather. But things become very complicated when his grandfather decided to hang out with his only grandson, much to Brian's horror._

**Tidbits**

**-First time I was able to do a chapter featuring Miss Simian and it turned out quite well than I imagined.**

**-I wanted to thank Sal for his help on The Drawing.**

**-Originally, I was planning on having Brian to draw a picture of Rhonda, but I thought that would have been too obvious, so I had him draw a picture of his teacher instead.**

**Thanks to everyone who continued to follow my story and I'll be seeing ya next chapter!**


	42. The Geezer

**I just wanted to thank Danny-of-TAWOG, Supergogeta14 and Sal for their help.**

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 42-The Geezer

The weekend had finally come around the corner at the O'Quinn residence and Annie couldn't have been any happier for this moment. Yesterday, her mother informed her that she and her dad will be dropping by to their place and the older, purple fox, along with her husband, wanted to welcome them to their new home in Elmore. But Brian was hardly happy upon learning the news.

"Mom, are you sure about this?" asked Brian.

"Brian, they're just going to be here for the weekend." Annie replied.

"Besides, why are you so upset? They're your grandparents." Gordon pointed out.

"I know that, dad and I'm actually looking forward to see my grandma again…" Brian began, before he rubbed his head sheepishly. "The one person I'm not looking forward to is my grandpa."

"Why would you say that?" Annie questioned her son.

"Mom, every time he shows up, the day always ends on a bad note for me." Brian explained. "He always makes an enemy out of everyone he meets and enjoys creating nicknames and insults whenever he gets the chance."

"Look, I know my dad can be a handful." Annie admitted to her son. "But he's not a heartless jerk, Brian. He's just being honest with his opinions."

"Sure he is." Brian sarcastically remarked.

"Brian!" Gordon scolded his son.

"Sorry dad." Brian apologized to his father. "I'll try to be on my best behavior."

"That's all we wanted to hear." Annie said.

Just then, the doorbell rang, prompting the older, purple fox to immediately make her way over and opened the front door. Standing in front of her were two people: one was an elderly fox of petite size with yellow fur, looking rather optimistic, wearing a straw hat, a red blouse, khaki shorts and sandals. The other was an elderly fox of average size with purple fur, just like Brian and Annie, sporting a grouchy demeanor, wearing an orange plaid sweater and blue jeans.

As soon as they made their appearance, Annie smile grew wider, for she was happy to see them finally arrive.

"Welcome to Elmore." Annie greeted her parents. "How was the long trip, mom?"

"It was rather long and tedious, but otherwise, it was enjoyable." the elderly, yellow fox replied.

"We would have gotten here sooner if you didn't stop every now and then for a picture, Honey." said the elderly, purple fox.

"But it's the only way I could get a good snapshot, Norton." Honey argued.

"Alright you two, enough arguing for one day." Gordon spoke out, as the grey wolf got himself between the two foxes.

"Gordon, you're looking fine as usual." Honey commented.

"But you're still the same nerd the day you and the family move out of Folsom." Norton remarked, though the grey wolf wasn't bothered by that statement.

"It's nice to see you two again." said Gordon, ignoring the elderly, purple fox's comment.

"Hello grandpa and grandma." Brian greeted his grandparents, prompting both foxes to turn their attention to the young, purple fox.

"Brian, it's good to see you again." Honey happily said, as she pinched his cheek, much to his discomfort. "My, you're so big now."

"It's good to meet you again." Brian replied; just as Honey let's go of Brian's cheek.

"You're looking fine as ever." Norton said to his grandson, as he examined Brian closer. "At least you still have some meat on you."

"Now dad, try to be nice to Brian…" Annie began. "Besides, you can use this as an opportunity to improve on your relationship with him."

"Are you kidding me?!" Brian shouted. "I don't have time for that! Besides, I already have plans to hang out with Rhonda today!"

"Well, now that's something I didn't expect to hear." Norton stated with interest. "So who is this Rhonda girl?"

Before Brian could say anything, Annie spoke first, cutting her son off.

"Rhonda happens to be the Brian's crush since he moved here. In fact, they met each other after they crashed their bikes just a few months ago."

"Mom!" Brian shouted, his cheeks blushing slightly in embarrassment.

"Not what I would imagine, but it's close enough." Norton stated. "Say, why don't I meet your girlfriend and get to know her?"

"First off, Rhonda isn't my girlfriend yet." Brian corrected his grandfather. "Second, I don't think that's a-"

"Wonderful idea!" Annie exclaimed, cutting her son off. "In fact, this is just a way for you two to spend some quality time with each other."

Before Brian could object any further, he soon found himself, along with his grandfather, being shoved right out to the front porch by his mother, before Annie quickly closed the front door and focused her attention to her mother and husband.

"So mom, what do you want to do?"

* * *

Brian couldn't believe how the weekend was starting off for him. As if his grandfather showing up was bad enough, he had to spend the rest of the day with him alone. Even though Brian didn't like the idea of being with his grandfather all day, the purple fox could only sigh and decided to get this over with, just praying for today to end.

"Alright Brian, you can do this." the purple fox muttered under his breath. "All I have to do is just get along with him for the time being and just prayed nothing bad is happens."

"What are you mumbling about, Brian?" asked Norton, arching an eyebrow in curiosity.

"N-nothing, Grandpa Norton!" Brian bashfully replied. "Look, Rhonda's showing up any minute, so can you promise not to embarrass me when she's around?"

"…Alright, I'll be on my best behavior." Norton promised his grandson, much to the purple fox's relief. "Besides, you worried too much whenever I show up."

'_I have a good reason to be worried.'_ Brian thought, before a certain mouse caught his attention.

"Hi Brian, how's your day?"

The moment Rhonda spoke, Brian happily turned around and saw the yellow mouse just a few inches from him, as the purple fox made his way to his crush, with his grandfather following his grandson's lead.

"My day is turning out good so far, Rhonda." Brian replied joyfully. "How's your day going so far?"

"My day is fine, thanks for asking." Rhonda said to her friend, before she spotted an older, purple fox right next to him. "By the way, who's this?"

Before Brian could have a chance to say anything, his grandfather made his way to greet the yellow mouse, as the young, purple fox looked on with discomfort.

"The name's Norton Dean, miss and I could see why my grandson took a liking to you." the elderly, purple fox introduced himself, causing Brian to groan while Rhonda gave Norton a perplexed look.

"That's…very kind of you to say that." said Rhonda, still weirded out by the older, purple fox's words. "Anyway, are you planning to come with us?"

"Sure, that's why I'm hanging out with my grandson for the moment." Norton replied. "Besides, I could use a tour around town, if that's alright with you."

Rhonda pondered for a moment, as Brian and Norton looked on, the former becoming nervous about the idea of his grandfather tagging along with them. Eventually, the mouse turned to the elderly, purple fox, ready to give him her answer.

"I don't mind the idea at all, Mr. Dean, just as long as Brian's fine with the idea." Rhonda replied, as she focused her attention to the young, purple fox.

"Yeah…I'm good with it." said Brian, feigning a smile for the mouse, all the while being mortified of the idea.

'_This isn't going to end well.'_ Brian thought, before him, Rhonda and Norton began to walk around the neighborhood.

* * *

For the last several minutes, Norton was surprisingly well-behaved, something that left Brian astonished; ever since Rhonda showed up, the elderly, purple fox didn't complain about the brief tour around the neighborhood nor did he made a fuss with the few people that crossed their path. For once, Brian couldn't help but feel relieved.

'_Maybe this won't be such a bad day after all.'_ Brian happily thought.

But as the purple fox was lost in his own thought, he failed to hear the words coming from a certain blue feline calling out to him.

"Hey Brian, how are you today?"

The moment Gumball spoke, Brian snapped back to reality and saw the blue feline, along with his brother, standing right in front of him, Rhonda and Norton.

"Hey Gumball." Brian greeted back. "My day's turning out good."

"That's nice to know…" Darwin began. "By the way, who's that with you and Rhonda?"

Before either the purple fox or the yellow mouse could say anything, Norton suddenly spoke, cutting both of them off in the process.

"The name's Norton Dean and I happen to be Brian's grandfather." the elderly purple fox introduced himself. "Did I mention that you kids are quite weird?"

"Grandpa Norton!" Brian scolded his grandfather.

"I'm just being honest kiddo. Besides, one of your friends happens to be a fish with two legs."

"Yeah and the sun has a face!" Brian stated as he pointed at the sun.

"Don't worry about, Brian. We get that a lot." Gumball assured the young, purple fox. "Besides, it might as well be a compliment."

"Are you sure about that you guys?" asked Rhonda.

"We're positive Rhonda." Darwin replied. "Anyway, Gumball and I are heading back to try out this video game we've been waiting for."

"You know, there's an awesome video game that I tried when I was your age." said Norton.

"There is?!" Gumball and Darwin excitedly asked the elderly, purple fox. "Tell us what it is!"

"It's called the outdoors! You know, when people actually rode on bikes, play a catch of ball and exercise every now and-"

"Alright Grandpa Norton, that's enough already." Brian quickly said, as he quickly dragged his grandfather far away from his friends. "Anyway, we have to get going now. See you guys later!"

"Yeah, see you guys later." Rhonda called out, as the mouse followed her friend, leaving just Gumball and Darwin on the sidewalk, dumbfounded by what had occurred just now.

"Well, that was weird." Gumball commented, before focusing his attention on his brother. "So Darwin, are you ready to check it out?"

"You know I've been waiting for this moment." Darwin happily replied.

* * *

Brian didn't know how long he had been running, but once the purple fox was certain that his friends were out of sight, he was able to catch his breath, just as Rhonda caught up with him, before Brian angrily confronted his grandfather about his action.

"Grandpa Norton, what the flip was that about?! You said you were going to be on your best behavior!"

"I was on my best behavior." Norton insisted. "Besides, why did you interrupt me so suddenly?"

"I don't know…" Brian sarcastically responded. "How about for starters that you were talking to my friends like that?!"

"I need to get them to pay attention Brian. What did you want me to do, bore them with every single detail?"

"Alright you guys, that's enough arguing." Rhonda spoke, making her way towards her friend and his grandfather. "I know things didn't get off to a good start, but let's put everything aside and just move on."

Both Brian and Norton nodded their heads, agreeing with the yellow mouse and before long; they resumed touring the neighborhood once more, as the young, purple fox was still upset by how today was already turning out.

'_I knew this was too good to be true!'_ Brian thought.

But as the young, purple fox was minding his own business, he failed to notice a certain red bear making his presence right in front of him.

"Hey fur ball, are you enjoying your weekend?" Ivan mockingly asked Brian, prompting the young, purple fox to saw the red bear right in front of him, Rhonda and Norton.

"Oh, it's you." Brian flatly said. "Look, I'm not in a good mood right now Ivan, so can you back off for?"

"Since this is the weekend and because Rhonda's with you, I'll make an exception just this once." Ivan complied, much to the young, purple fox's surprise, as the red bear passed by them, but not before Ivan purposely bumped into him.

'_Well, that went easier than I thought.'_ Brian thought, before he noticed his grandfather looking at him, unimpressed by his action.

"That's it kiddo? You're just going to let him walk like that without putting up a fight?"

"Grandpa Norton, I'm not here to start a fight with Ivan!" Brian explained, attempting to justify his action.

"That doesn't mean he should get away with that." The elderly, purple fox retorted. "I think it's time I show you how to man up."

"Mr. Dean, what are you talking about?" Rhonda questioned Norton.

"Watch and learn, miss." Norton replied, before he grabbed the nearest rock and hurled it towards Ivan, hitting him hard on the head, much to Brian's horror.

"Grandpa Norton…" Brian began. "What the hay did you do that for?!"

Norton didn't respond to his grandson's question right away, as he picked up the young, purple fox by the hoodie, while Ivan got up on his feet, brushing himself off, before he turned to the trio, eyeing a panicked Brian, outraged that he got hit behind the head just like that.

"You're going to get it now fur ball!" Ivan angrily stated, before he walked right towards his victim, with Rhonda trying to restrain the furious red bear as much as she can.

* * *

Brian's day has gone from bad to worse; first, his grandfather criticized his friends and then, he ended up being a punching bag for Ivan, though Rhonda was able to convince him that Norton was the culprit, prompting the red bear to stop what he was doing and stormed off. But that was only the tip of the iceberg.

Shortly after his brief confrontation with Ivan, Norton got into an argument with Marvin and his friends, after the former called him 'old', prompting both Brian and Rhonda to drag him off before he started getting violent. Next, the trio accidentally bumped into Ocho and Norton thought that it was wise to tell the spider to watch where he was going, prompting Brian to calm him down before Ocho lost his cool. Recently, Norton stirred up an argument with Mr. Robinson after being irked by the puppet's grouchy demeanor, but at Brian's insistence, he reluctantly apologized before walking away from him.

Brian had no idea of how much he would be able to take of this. Sure, he had that incident with his dad following him to school, but that's because Rhonda wasn't there with him. This is clearly not the case now and all Brian could do is silently panicked, wondering what Rhonda planned to do when the day is over.

'_What do I do now? Rhonda's probably upset at me because of my grandfather's action and if that's the case, I could kiss my chance of being her boyfriend goodbye!'_

While Brian was too busy in his own thoughts, Rhonda decided to have a chat with Norton, hoping to get some answer out of the temperamental fox.

"Mr. Dean, I don't want to sound rude, but what was that just now? All day long, you've been starting arguments one after another over every little thing. I thought you promise Brian that you'd on your best behavior!"

All Norton could do is wince in response, as the mouse continued to glare at him for what he had put her and Brian through. Not wanting to upset Rhonda any further, Norton sighed before offering an explanation to the mouse for his behavior.

"Alright, I'll admit that my behavior wasn't under control."

"Just like every other visit?" Brian sarcastically asked his grandfather.

"Maybe that wasn't the right choice of words." said Norton. "Truth is I'm very opinionated when it comes to mundane things and sometimes, I need to find a way to get some people to at least listen to hear what I have to say."

"Like calling Mr. Robinson 'Unibrow' or telling off Ocho back there?" Rhonda pointed out to the elderly fox.

"Groucho needed to lighten for a change and that spider should have paid attention to begin with."

"But that's still no excuse for getting into an argument with Marvin and his friends." Brian reminded his grandfather.

"They called me 'old' and I have to show him a thing or two about calling someone like that." Norton stated, trying to justify his action.

"Regardless, you shouldn't have caused such a commotion to begin with." Rhonda said to the elderly, purple fox.

"Just do us a favor and don't say or do anything at all." Brian informed his grandfather. "You're just going to mess things up."

As soon as Brian said those words, Norton was stunned that his grandson would say that to him like that. Although the elderly fox wanted to say something, he noticed the glares coming from both Brian and Rhonda, prompting Norton to comply with his grandson's demands, saddened by their reactions.

'_All I wanted to do was just try to make today a bit more interesting. I never meant to get anyone upset.'_ Norton thought.

While the elderly fox continue to think of his actions, he noticed both his grandson and the mouse stopping dead in their tracks, looking at something from above. Norton, out of curiosity, decided to look up as well, only to see a t-rex looming right in front of him.

"Long time no see, fur ball and it looks like the little mouse is with you as well." Tina greeted them with a snide remark, before the carnivore turned her attention to the elderly, purple fox. "Who's the old geezer with you?"

"Look Tina…" Brian began, ignoring the dinosaur's question. "I'm having a really bad day right now. Can't you just leave us alone?"

"Don't be in such a rush." said the t-rex, as she reared her head towards the trio. "We've got all day to chat and I'll decide when we end the conversation."

Brian and Rhonda glanced at one another, clearly uncomfortable with Tina's presence, as neither of them have any idea on this will turned out. But before they could start thinking of a plan, Norton suddenly made his way to Tina, much to their shock.

"Grandpa Norton, what are you-" was all Brian could say, before the elderly, purple fox spoke to his grandson.

"I know you made me promise not to say or do anything, but this is one promise I have to break, for yours and Rhonda's sake." Norton then turned to face the carnivore. "Look lady, if my grandson says he wants to be left alone, I suggest you respect his choice and move on."

"Well, isn't that sweet…" Tina began, speaking with a hint of sarcasm. "Now tell me, old timer, what is that you're going to do? Make me act like a proper lady?"

"Actually, I have something better." Norton replied. "I need you to lean closer so I can show it to you."

Tina looked at the elderly, purple fox, giving him a perplexed look. The t-rex didn't know what Norton was up to, but then again, it might not have been anything serious. Still, the carnivore decided to at least hear him out, as Tina leaned her head towards the elderly, purple fox.

"Alright, you got my attention. Now what is it that you want to show me?"

"I'm glad you asked." Norton happily replied, before the elderly, purple fox quickly reared back and chopped Tina on the neck. Before Brian and Rhonda knew what happened next, the t-rex collapsed on the pavement, clearly knocked out by Norton's move, much to their astonishment.

"Grandpa Norton…" Brian began.

"…How did you do that?" added Rhonda.

Norton didn't answer right away, as the elderly fox couldn't help but chuckle by the kid's amazement, before he took a few coughs and began to give them an explanation to them.

"It's a little trick that I have been practicing for ages. Most of the time, I just use that so that anyone that rubs me the wrong way doesn't see that coming. If you're interested, I am more than willing to teach you how it's done, Brian."

Brian hesitated for a moment, uncertain on how to respond to his grandfather. Even though he had been hard at the elderly fox for his actions and behavior, Brian couldn't help but feel bad for the way he had treated Norton. If this was his way of apologizing, then it was good enough for the young, purple fox.

With that in mind, Brian turned his attention to his grandfather.

"Can you teach me how to do that?"

* * *

**Several hours later…**

The rest of the afternoon was rather pleasant for a change, as Norton was on his best behavior, having a good conversation with both Brian and Rhonda, telling tales of Brian's life in Folsom, from his first day at school to his old friends. For his part, Brian wasn't bother by his grandfather's tales at the slightest, as he found himself enjoying his company for a change.

It was then that the trio finally made their way back to the O'Quinn residence.

"Well, looks like everything turned out alright in the end." said Brian, before facing Norton. "Look, I'm sorry if I was rude back there. I shouldn't have said something like that to begin with."

"It's alright, kiddo. I understand." Norton assured his grandson. "Besides, I owe you and Rhonda an apology for the way I was acting. I mean, I shouldn't have thrown a rock at that red bear to begin with, even if he did deserve it."

"Don't worry, Mr. Dean. Apology accepted." Rhonda informed the elderly, purple fox. "You're not perfect, but you're still a good person at heart."

"I couldn't agree more." Brian spoke, as he smiled.

"Thanks kids…" Norton began. "That really made my day. Anyway, I have to get back inside the house and don't worry Brian; I'll wait for you when you're done."

With that, the elderly, purple fox made his way inside the O'Quinn residence, leaving only Brian and Rhonda on the sidewalk.

"I'm sorry everything didn't turn out the way you wanted." the young, purple fox apologized to the mouse.

"It's alright Brian, there's nothing to be worried about." Rhonda assured her friend. "I'll admit that your grandfather's action made things a bit awkward and despite what happened, today turned out to be good."

Brian couldn't help but smile, glad that everything worked out in the end, despite the fiasco his grandfather had created.

"Well, this is so touching." a certain red bear spoke in mockery, prompting both Brian and Rhonda to find Ivan right behind them, much to their displeasure.

"It was touching until you ruined the mood." Brian flatly said.

"Don't blame me for getting in your way." Ivan said to the purple fox, as the red bear cracked his knuckles. "Which reminds me, are you ready for another round of beating?"

"Actually, I got something to show you before you go through your method. In fact, lean closer so I can show it to you." Brian replied, much to Ivan's curiosity and suspicion.

The red bear doesn't know what the purple fox was up to, but whatever it is; Ivan decided to hear him out before beating Brian up to a pulp, as he leaned closer to the fox.

"Alright fur ball, what is it that you-"

Without warning, Brian suddenly chopped him on the neck and before Ivan knew what happened next, he found himself face down on the pavement, completely knocked out, as Rhonda looked on, amazed by her friend's action.

"I've got to say, I'm impressed Brian…" Rhonda began. "It looks like your grandfather's method really worked after all."

"Yeah, I can't believe it myself." Brian stated. "Anyway, I have to get back inside my house. It was nice hanging out with you."

"Same here Brian." said Rhonda, as the mouse smiled in response.

With that, the two wave each other a goodbye, before the purple fox made his way home, intending to tell his parents and grandmother about what happened today.

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 43-The Chessmaster_

_Gumball accidently loses an heirloom of Penny's when she asks him to hang on to it for a day and it is picked up by the Eggheads, who will only return it if one of them can beat them in a game of blitz chess._

**Tidbits**

**-I'll admit, this isn't the best chapter I ever written, but I did the best I can with "The Geezer"**

**-Originally, Norton was going to talk to more characters, but due to pacing, I was force to cut some of them off.**

**-For Norton, I imagined him being voiced by Brian Doyle-Murray, who had voiced many characters, including Captain K'nuckles from Flapjack. For Honey, I envisioned Candi Milo voicing her.**

**-Once again, I wanted to thank Danny-of-TAWOG, Supergogeta14 and Sal for their help.**

**I hope everyone like this and I'll be seeing ya next chapter!**


	43. The Chessmaster

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 43-The Chessmaster

It was another typical day at Elmore Junior High, as Gumball, Darwin, Brian and Mike were getting the materials needed for Miss Simian's class. But as the boys were about to make their way to their class, a certain antlered peanut appeared right in front of them.

"Hey guys." Penny greeted the four. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"Oh no, we've got plenty of time." Gumball happily replied.

"We actually have a few minutes before the first bell." Brian stated.

"But if it's important, we can hear you out." said Darwin.

"Anyway, what brings you over here?" Mike asked Penny.

"I was actually going to ask Gumball for a very big favor." Penny replied, before she pulled out a small box and showed it to the boys, much to their curiosity.

"What is it Penny?" asked Gumball.

"It's an heirloom that's been passed down through my family, but that's all I'm going to say." Penny explained. "That aside, I have cheerleading practice today and I can't find a way to return it home right now. Can you please hang on to it until I'm done practicing?"

"Don't worry Penny, you can count on me." The blue feline assured the antlered peanut.

"That's great, but before I go, you must promise me that you will **NOT** open it under any circumstances. Are we clear on that?"

"I assure you Penny; I promise I won't open it, no matter what." Gumball insisted, as she smiled in response, just as the first bell rang.

"That's a relief. Anyway, we have to get going to class now."

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement and with that, the five hurriedly made their way to their class as fast as they could.

* * *

Miss Simian's class went rather uneventfully for today, aside from yet another surprise pop quiz and more note taking. The class was almost ending when Miss Simian got out of her seat to make an announcement.

"Alright class, listen up…" the elderly teacher began. "I want everyone to be in groups of four before I explain more about the project."

Almost immediately, everyone complied with their teacher's demands and got into groups of four; unsurprisingly, Gumball, Darwin, Brian and Mike quickly got together, before Miss Simian resumed speaking.

"Now that everyone is in their groups, let me explain how this works. I'm going to choose a topic for each of you to work on. All you have to do is research that particular subject and write a report on it due next week."

Once Miss Simian finished speaking, she went to each group and handed each of them a card one after another, until she made her way to Gumball, Darwin, Brian and Mike, handing the purple fox a card, allowing him to see the subject that he and his friends will be working on.

"It looks like we're going to do a research about farming."

"Are you serious, Brian?!" Gumball exclaimed in dismay. "Farming is **SO** boring! All they do is work out on the fields all day long! Seriously, who does that kind of things?"

"There's more to farming than just hard work, Gumball. It might be a bit more complex than that." Darwin said to his brother.

"Besides, if you want to get this over with, we might as well start working on it." Mike stated.

"Fine, if you say so." Gumball reluctantly agreed, before turning to his teacher. "Just out of curiosity, Miss Simian, how long does our assignment have to be?"

"I'm glad you asked that…" Miss Simian began. "It has to be at least four pages and typed before Monday."

As soon as the cantankerous baboon said those words, everyone in the class groaned in dismay, irking their teacher in the process.

"Would you prefer if I made it eight?" Miss Simian asked with a threatening tone, prompting everyone to immediately disregard their previous actions, hoping that their teacher wouldn't go through with her threat.

* * *

The school bell rang for the last time, as everyone left school for the weekend. But for Brian, Mike and the Watterson brothers, today was an exception; agreeing that it was better to finish their project as quickly as possible, the four made their way to the library to begin their research. They were fortunate enough to seek Anais for help, who agreed to aid them on their report, as the boys were carrying a few books and making their way towards an empty table.

"Thanks for helping us on our project, Anais." Brian informed the child prodigy.

"It's times like these I'm glad you're a genius." Mike happily exclaimed.

"I'm glad to help, Mike." Anais assured the maroon badger.

"At least we know we'll finish our report in no time." Darwin noted.

"Look, can we just stop the chitchat and do our project? The last thing I want to do is stay here all day and bore myself to death." Gumball complained.

"Maybe if you stop whining about it, you guys can actually get it done." Anais replied, somewhat irritated by her older brother's complaints.

"…Fine, I promise I'll stay awake long enough to finish it." said the blue feline. "But I still won't be enjoying it."

With that, the five began to work on their project, trying to gather enough information needed to write up their report as best as they could.

* * *

**One hour later…**

The boys worked as hard as they could, thanks to Anais' assistance, before Gumball wasn't able to stay awake anymore and fell asleep on the table. After what felt like an eternity, the blue feline felt someone nudging him on his side, prompting Gumball to wake up and notice Darwin right next to him.

"Hey Gumball; sorry if I was bothering you, but we were able to finish our project."

"Well, it's about time!" Gumball happily exclaimed.

"But you slept through half of our research time!" Anais pointed out.

"Whoa there, this is no time for arguments." Brian stated. "What's important is that we're done and that's all that matters."

"I don't know about you guys, but if I have to read another book, I'm ripping it to shreds." said Mike.

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement and made their way towards the school's entrance. But along the way, the five passed the gymnasium, prompting Gumball to realize something.

'_Oh yeah, that's right! I needed to return Penny's heirloom to her.'_ Gumball thought, before the blue feline reached into his pocket to grab the small box, but much to his shock, it was empty.

"What's wrong Gumball?" asked Darwin, noticing the look of panic on his brother's face.

"I don't have Penny's heirloom with me!" the horrified blue feline responded. "What do I do?! If Penny finds out about it, she'll never forgive me!"

"Gumball, calm down…" Brian began; earning him the blue feline's attention. "You probably must have left it in the library after you toyed around with it so much."

"That's a relief…" Gumball began, feeling a bit embarrassed by his actions but relieved that he hadn't lost it for the moment. "Anyway, I can't leave school yet until I find Penny's heirloom and return it to her."

"Don't worry Gumball, we'll help you out." said Darwin, before the five turned around and made their way to the library once again.

* * *

Once the five entered the library, they immediately headed to the table where they were doing their research, only to find it completely empty. Surprised by this, Brian, Mike and the Watterson siblings split up, searching for Penny's heirloom all over the place, checking one aisle after another. But after a few minutes of searching, the five regrouped, disappointed that they couldn't find the small box anywhere.

"Oh man, this can't be happening to me." Gumball fearfully told himself. "How am I going to explain this to Penny?"

"Don't give up yet, Gumball. I'm sure Penny's heirloom is still around here." said Anais, trying to calm her older brother down.

"Ahem." A voice spoke from behind them, prompting the five to turn around and see the Eggheads standing there. "Pardon the intrusion, but where you looking for something of value?"

"Thank you, Captain Obvious." asked Mike.

"What my friend means to say is yes we are. We're looking for a small box." Brian intruded.

"Oh, you mean this?" In response, one of the Eggheads showed the five a small box in his palm, much to Gumball's excitement.

"Thank you so much!" said Gumball, as he made his way to the twins. "I don't know what would happen if I-"

But before the blue feline could grab the small box, the glasses-wearing Egghead reeled it away from him, much to Gumball's confusion.

"Did you really think that I would hand this to you just like that? I think not."

As soon as the Egghead made his statement, Gumball found himself on his knees, horrified to hear what was said to him.

"Please, you don't understand! That box means so much to Penny and I promised I would return it to her this afternoon!" Gumball pleaded to the twins.

"You should have thought of that before I found it." The glasses-wearing Egghead coldly informed the blue feline.

Without warning, Brian immediately pinned the glasses-wearing Egghead down to the floor, annoyed by his indifference to Gumball's pleas.

"Alright, tell us why you won't just hand that box to our friend?!" Brian demanded, before the purple fox got off of the disheveled egg.

'_That was rather rude of him.'_ The Egghead thought, as his brother helped him on his feet, before focusing his attention to the group.

"If you must know, we don't comply with those of weaker intelligence. But if you want it back so much…" the Egghead then turned to his brother, prompting him to pull out a chessboard and a clock and set it on the nearest table. "…Then beat me in a little game of blitz chess."

The five looked at one another, hoping that among them, someone would comply with the Eggheads' demands and retrieve Penny's heirloom back. Eventually, a certain maroon badger sighed and stepped forth, ready to give him his answer.

"I'll do it." said Mike, to the surprise of both his friends and the Eggheads, something that the maroon badger noticed right away. "My grandpa taught me how to play blitz chess a while back. Don't worry; I know exactly what I'm doing." The Egghead started to think.

"Why don't I play?" asked Anais.

"Because I need you to do something else for me and your cuteness is just what I need for it. Mike answered, leaving Anais confused.

"Very well; it will be a five minute game." said the Egghead, somewhat impressed by Mike's claims. "However, since I'm wagering this small box, I suggest you wager something in return if you want this box back."

Nodding his head in agreement, the maroon badger pulled out something from underneath his hoodie, revealing to everyone a necklace with a small yellow gem in the middle. It looked odd as it looked like a triangle with two of the sides curved in.

"I'll wager this necklace for that small box." Mike stated, as he put said necklace on the table, before his friends approached him in curiosity, just as the maroon badger and his opponent took their seats.

"Mike, where did you get that?" asked Gumball.

"I didn't even know it was on you before." Darwin noted.

"I don't think you've ever told us about that before." Brian commented.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Anais asked the maroon badger.

"Guys, I'll explain everything when this is over." Mike replied. "Right now, you, Darwin and Brian need to distract Penny before she finds out what's going on, while Gumball and I deal with him and his brother."

The four nodded their heads in agreement and before long, Brian, Darwin and Anais immediately rushed to the main entrance of the library.

"Don't just stand there, brother; stop them this instant!" the glasses-wearing Egghead commanded, prompting the other Egghead to make a mad dash towards the trio, something that Darwin noticed right away.

"You two go ahead…" the two-legged fish began. "I'll take care of him."

As much as Brian and Anais wanted to argue, the two reluctantly complied with Darwin's insistence, as the two-legged fish turned around and tackled the Egghead on to the ground, allowing his friends to leave the library just in time.

"You want to dance? Then let's dance." said Darwin, before both he and the Egghead proceeded to pummel one another, eventually taking their fight to another section of the library, much to Gumball's concern.

"I need to make sure that Darwin's alright." the blue feline informed the maroon badger, before he got up and began looking for his brother, leaving just Mike and the Egghead on their own.

Not wanting to delay this game any further, the glasses-wearing Egghead sighed and hit the clock, beginning the game of blitz chess between him and the maroon badger.

"You know, just because your smart doesn't mean you have the advantage." Mike informed his opponent, as he moved his white king's pawn to E4 on the chessboard, irking the Egghead across him in response.

"I would be careful what you're saying if I were you." the Egghead warned the maroon badger, as he moved his queen's black bishop pawn to C5 on the chessboard.

"The key to winning a game isn't intellect. In fact, it only takes a couple of pieces. In my case, I have four." said Mike, moving his queen's white bishop to C3, just as his opponent moved his queen's black bishop to C6, before looking at the maroon badger quizzically.

"You couldn't possibly be referring to those imbeciles back there?" the Egghead retorted.

Mike, however, didn't respond to his question, instead giving him the silent treatment, much to his displeasure.

"Well, that doesn't seem fair."

"Not only does it take a good strategy, but you also need good concentration if you want to achieve victory in anything in life, like stalling for time." Mike stated, moving his king's white knight to G3.

"Stalling, hmm? Tell me something…" the Egghead began, moving his king's black knight to G6. "Why are you willing to risk something so important like that necklace for someone with an average IQ?"

"I don't measure the value of an object in dollars, but what it's worth to me." Mike explained, moving his king's white bishop to G2. "As far as I'm concerned, my friends are more valuable than that necklace…at least now it is."

"But that doesn't make any sense. You were just wearing it." the Egghead pointed out, before he moved his king's black bishop to G7.

As the game continued on, Mike couldn't help but wonder what Brian and Anais were up to at the moment, just hoping they stalled Penny as long as they could.

* * *

Brian and Anais doesn't know how long they were running, but as far as the two were concerned, they needed to make sure that Penny didn't find out what had happened to her heirloom.

"There she is, Brian!" Anais shouted to the purple fox, as the duo spotted the antlered peanut coming out of the gym, no doubt having finished her practice.

"Don't worry, I have an idea." Brian informed the child prodigy, before turning his attention to Penny. "Hey Penny!"

"Hey Brian, what's-" was all Penny could say, before she suddenly found herself being dragged off by both the purple fox and the child prodigy, confusing her in the process.

"What are you two doing?" asked Penny, curious and astonished by her friends' actions.

"Long story short, Anais and I wanted to talk to you about something." Brian lied to the antlered peanut.

"Yeah, that's right. Don't worry; Gumball has your heirloom perfectly safe at the library." Anais stated, playing along with Brian's lies.

"But why are we going away from the library?" Penny pointed out.

"Believe me Penny, its best if we talk somewhere private." Brian hastily replied.

"I assure you, it won't take too long. We promise." said Anais.

"…Alright, I'll hear you two out." Penny complied, hoping that her friends weren't wasting their time, as she needed to get her heirloom back and return it home.

* * *

As Brian and Anais were distracting Penny, Mike meanwhile made his next move on the chessboard, moving his queen's white pawn to D3, while the Egghead moved his king's black pawn to E6, before giving the maroon badger a look of confidence.

"What's with that look? We haven't made it that far in the game." Mike stated, questioning his opponent.

"That's simple, dear boy. I have never lost playing blitz chess, no matter the odds." the egghead spoke with arrogance.

"There's a first time for everything." Mike retorted, before the maroon badger moved his queen's white bishop to E3, as the Egghead casually moved his queen's black pawn to D6.

* * *

Gumball was quite exhausted after searching around the library for both Darwin and the other Egghead for quite some time. The blue feline had searched half the library for them, checking one aisle after another, but they were nowhere to be found. The echoes in the library made it hard to determine where the sounds were coming from. Adding to Gumball's concern was Penny showing up at any moment and demanding him to return the small box that he had sworn to look after.

'_Oh man! What do I do?!'_ Gumball fearfully thought. _'If Mike loses the game to that nerd, Penny will never forgive me and I'll lose my chance of being her boyfriend.'_

As much as Gumball feared this possible outcome, the blue feline shook his head, snapping out of his thoughts. This was neither the time nor place to think about such things.

"Pull yourself together." Gumball said to himself. "I have to believe that Mike can get that box back. Right now, I need to find Darwin."

With strong determination, the blue feline resumed his search, hoping that he can find Darwin before it was too late.

* * *

Mike and the Egghead continued to play their game of blitz chess, as the maroon badger moved his white queen to D2 while the egg moved his king's black knight to E7, with neither making scores for quite some time.

But when Mike began to move his queen's white bishop from E3 to H6, the Egghead seized the opportunity to make a move of his own, as the egg performed a castling, moving his black king towards his rook to F8 and in turn, moving it to the opposite side of his king to G8.

"Oh, aren't you fancy!" Mike sarcastically spoke, as the maroon badger moved his king's white rook to H4.

"It might as well be, because as of now, you'll need to keep your guard up." the Egghead retorted, moving his queen's black knight from C6 to D4.

So the game continued on, as Mike performed a castling, moving his white king to C1 and moved his rook to D1 and as the Egghead moved his queen's black knight to B5, he looked up and noticed that the maroon badger was smiling, much to his confusion.

* * *

Penny's day didn't turn out the way she had imagined, as Brian and Anais, for the strangest reasons, had dragged her far away from the library where Gumball was looking after her family's heirloom and before she knew it, they were talking about every random topic, from music, movies and books in the schoolyard. Needless to say, the antlered peanut was getting bored from hearing their conversation and decided to end it right then and there.

"Guys, I appreciate the company and all, but I have to get to the library and get that box from Gumball." said Penny.

But before the antlered peanut could have the chance to turn around, Anais immediately grabbed Penny by the ankle, much to her surprise and to Brian's relief.

"Wait a minute Penny, don't go just yet." the child prodigy begged the antlered peanut. "Can you at least read me this new Daisy the Donkey book?"

Anais then pulled out a book titled "The New Adventures of Daisy the Donkey" to Penny, before the antlered peanut turned to Brian, who was looking quite anxious and then to the child prodigy, pouting rather sadly. Unable to bear it much longer, Penny took a deep breath, ready to give Anais her answer.

"Alright, I'll do it for you."

Anais couldn't help but rejoice with happiness, while Brian looked on with relief, glad that he and the child prodigy were able to stall the antlered peanut for a little longer.

* * *

After Mike and the Egghead were done finishing their turn, the maroon badger stared at his piece with great intensity, hoping to come up with something. Eventually, an idea came to Mike, prompting to make a move of his own, moving his king's white rook to G6.

"Looks like we got ourselves a first victim…" the maroon badger began, as he took the black king's knights from the chessboard.

As the game between the two continued on, somewhere in the library, Darwin fought as hard as he could against the other Egghead, who was much stronger than he looked. Even though the two-legged fish made a few punches of his own, the Egghead made a few of his own, with one resulting in a black eye for Darwin.

_"...And our first sacrifice."_ the Egghead added, taking the white pawn off the chessboard, while the two-legged fish fell on his back, rubbing his sore eye.

'_Man, for a nerd, he can sure pack a punch.'_ Darwin thought.

As the two-legged fish continued to defend himself, Mike and the Egghead moved their own pieces, all the while striking up a conversation with one another.

"_You know the game is still young."_ Mike said to his opponent.

"_On the contrary, the game had just reached its adolescence."_ the Egghead countered the badger's claim.

Meanwhile, Gumball, after searching the library from top to bottom, finally managed to find Darwin, just as the other Egghead managed to knock his brother down to the ground.

"_I do think you lost one of your most valuable pieces."_ the Egghead casually informed Mike, taking the king's white knight from the chessboard.

"_But sacrifice is sometimes necessary to win."_ Mike insisted and moved the bishop to F3, taking the knight down and at the same time, Gumball quickly picked up a random book from the shelf and flung it at the other Egghead, leaving a big crack on his body in the process.

"I can't believe you just did that!" the Egghead fearfully exclaimed, slowly backing away from the blue feline. "Please don't hurt me!"

With that, the other Egghead turned around and fled for his life, as Gumball made his way to his injured brother, hoping that he was at least fine for the moment.

"Darwin, are you alright man?"

"Other than a bruised ego, I'm good. Thanks for saving me back there." the two-legged fish happily replied.

"Let's save the thanks for later. Right now, we have to get back to Mike and check up on him." Gumball informed his brother.

Agreeing with Gumball, the Watterson brothers decided to make their way back to the table, hoping that the maroon badger was doing fine and well.

* * *

The Egghead couldn't believe what had happened; somehow, Mike was able to take his queen's knight down with just one move and now his brother had just deserted him. It was the last thing he had ever expected from the maroon badger and his friends and right now, the egg was starting to feel rather anxious, his head starting to sweat like mad.

'_Oh my goodness gracious; it looks like I have underestimated this fellow here! No, it was just a lucky move, that's all!' _the Egghead thought, concerned that Mike might have actually beaten him.

But worrying about the maroon badger beating him is the least of his concerns. In the midst of their game, he realized that both he and Mike had just over a minute left before their game of blitz chess was done. Likewise, Mike also noticed the time as well and soon, both boys realized that this was now or never.

"Ready when you are." Mike said to his opponent.

"I'm always ready." the Egghead remarked.

With words exchanged, the two continued onward with their game, as both Mike and the Egghead moved their pawns, their eyes locking with fierce intent, with the clock ticking down to the end, as each made one move after another until finally, they were down on their final turn and not a moment too soon.

'_Alright Mike, you can do this.'_ the maroon badger thought to himself. _'Just look for a strategy and take this nerd down.'_

Mike pondered for a moment, looking at the chessboard, all the while coming up with a good strategy. It was after doing a double take on the chessboard that an idea came to the maroon badger.

'_Alright, it's now or never.'_ Mike thought and without any further hesitation, the maroon badger moved his white queen to F7, snatching his opponent's rook, just in time for the game to end.

"Looks like its checkmate." Mike informed the Egghead, who was both shocked and outraged by this turn of events.

"This is preposterous! This has to be some kind of joke! There's no way I could lose to the likes of you!" He looked all over the board for a possible move to get his king away but couldn't find one.

"Well you just did." Mike retorted. "Anyway, I won the game fair and square, so I suggest you honor your end of the bargain."

"You're right, a promise is a promise." the Egghead said, calming down. "Here you go; the small box is all yours."

The Egghead handed the small box to Mike, still in good condition, just as Gumball and Darwin finally made their way towards their friend, exhausted from their running.

"Mike…did you…get the…box?" asked a worn out Gumball.

"Yes, yes I did." Mike happily replied, showing the small box in his palm, much to the blue feline's relief.

"Oh thank you so much Mike! I owe you big for this one!" Gumball expressed his gratitude to the maroon badger. "Now I know for certain that Penny's heirloom is safe and sound."

"Speaking of which, we should meet up with Penny and give it to her!" Darwin reminded his friends.

The boys nodded their heads in agreement and immediately rushed off to the library's main entrance, having already accomplished their goal.

* * *

Penny was becoming rather agitated by how the day was turning out for her. Brian and Anais have been spending the past hour preventing her from going anywhere. After she finished reading the book, the two attempted to talk to her once more, but the antlered peanut was in a bit of hurry and declined.

Now, much to her displeasure, both Brian and Anais grabbed her by the ankle, forcing Penny to drag herself all the way to the library, in spite of their strong grips.

"Penny, just hear us out." Brian pleaded.

"We just want to have a little moment of your time." Anais explained to the antlered peanut.

"Guys, while I don't mind company, I really need to get my family heirloom from Gumball right now." Penny insisted, continually dragging herself to the library.

But as the antlered peanut reached the library, the door suddenly swung wide open, showing Gumball, Darwin and Mike right in front of her, with the blue feline holding the small box like he had won it from a lottery prize, just as Brian and Anais finally let go of her ankle.

"Sorry if I made you wait too long Penny…" Gumball began, before he allowed Penny to get the small box. "I just got too preoccupied with the report that I forgot that I was supposed to give this back to you."

"It's all good Gumball." Penny assured the blue feline. "But before I go, I just want to ask you a few questions."

"What's that?"

"Can you explain to me why Brian and Anais were acting so strange today? Furthermore, why does Darwin have a black eye and why do you look exhausted?"

Gumball stood still, not expecting the antlered peanut to ask such questions in front of him. Realizing that he needed to come up with a quick excuse, the blue feline took a deep breath and was about to give Penny an answer when Mike suddenly spoke out.

"Brian and Anais just wanted to show you how much they appreciate their friendship with you, Darwin got a black eye from a discarded book from one of the bookshelves and Gumball was exhausted from studying too much for our project."

Everyone looked at Mike for a moment, once again coming to the rescue. At the same time, the antlered peanut shrugged her shoulders, deciding that it was the most logical answer for the moment.

"I guess that makes sense. Anyway, thank you so much for looking after my family heirloom Gumball."

Once Penny said those words, the antlered peanut gave the blue feline a big hug, causing Gumball's face to blush bright red, all the while feeling happy about how his day was turning out.

"Anyway, I have to get home. See you guys next week." said Penny, before she turned and headed for the school's entrance.

Once everyone waved their goodbyes to the antlered peanut, both Brian and the Watterson siblings turned to Mike, realizing something important had came up in their mind.

"So Mike, are you going to explain about that necklace?" Brian asked the maroon badger.

"Oh, that?" Mike began, as he put the necklace back on. "It was a gift."

"From who?" Gumball asked.

"No one you would know."

"Are you sure that's all there is to it?" Anais asked Mike.

"Yeah, that's pretty much it." the maroon badger insisted.

"Alright then, if you say so." said Darwin.

"Anyway, let's head back home and relax." Brian said to his friends.

Everyone in the group agreed with the purple fox's statement and the five proceeded to make their way to the school's main entrance, while Mike remained behind, looking at the necklace that he just wagered just minutes ago.

"I guess this means things aren't over between me and you..." Mike began. "Not until you get this back."

Once he said those words, the maroon badger made his way to his friends, wanting to relax at home.

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 44-The Calm_

_When Nicole's outburst threatens her job, Brian convinced her to seek Annie's help. But Annie's unusual methods could be too much for Nicole to handle._

**Tidbits**

**-This chapter was quite difficult for me to write up, mainly because I wasn't too familiar with blitz chess. Nevertheless, I wanted to get through with this as best as I could.**

**-I wanted to thank Sal for helping me out on this chapter, as well as suggesting it.**

**I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and I'll be seeing ya next time!**


	44. The Calm

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 44-The Calm

For Nicole Watterson, it was the same routine she always had ever since she began working at the Rainbow Factory: dealing with stubborn customers on the phone and try to offer them a good deal to satisfy their needs and today was no exception. As expected, the older, blue feline received another call from who knows where, but Nicole decided to just accept the call and get this over with.

"Hello and thanks for calling the Rainbow Factory, where our motto is 'We Love Rainbows!'." Nicole greeted the customer on the phone, trying her best to sound as happy as she could. "How may I be of some service?"

"Yes, um, what do you have to offer?" the customer meekly asked.

"Well, as I said before, out motto is 'We Love Rainbows!'." Nicole pointed out, slightly irritated with the customer's questions.

"Is that all you have? I don't want to sound rude, but there has to be more than just rainbows." said the customer, agitating Nicole in the process.

"Sir, if you're not satisfied with what this company is offering, then I suggest you call somewhere else."

"Well, that was rude of you." the customer retorted. "Do you always talk like that to your customers? 'Cause if you do…"

As the customer from the other end of the phone line continued to chastise the older, blue feline, Nicole was starting to lose her patience with him. Her face was starting to turn red, simmering in anger, as steam blew from her ears, her paws gripping tightly on the phone and her teeth gritting tightly. There was only way to deal with someone as unruly as him.

"Sir…" Nicole calmly told the customer on the other end of the phone. "Can you do me one favor AND DON'T BOTHER CALLING THIS LINE EVER AGAIN?!"

As soon as the older, blue feline finished shouting, Nicole angrily hung up on him, just as she noticed her fellow co-workers staring at her, before the older, blue feline also noticed a big, floating cloud with a mustache looking at her rather sternly.

"Wait, it's not what it looks like." Nicole attempted to explain to her boss.

* * *

Nicole couldn't believe how her day was turning out. First, she found herself dealing with a rather unruly customer. As if that wasn't bad enough, everyone, including her boss, overheard her outburst in her cubicle. Due to her actions, her boss suspended her for three days from the Rainbow Factory and told her that if she doesn't control her anger issues, she'll be fired.

Now Nicole found herself lying on the couch, still in disbelief, as all she could do was stare at the ceiling and try to take her mind off of today's unfortunate incident.

'_What do I do now?'_ Nicole thought. _'I have to find a way to calm myself down before I lose my job. But how do I do that?'_

As Nicole was lost in her own thoughts, she failed to notice her sons and their friends right beside her, looking at the older, blue feline with concern.

"Mrs. Mom, are you alright?" Darwin asked his mother, causing Nicole to shoot up to a sitting position, before she noticed the three boys right in front of her.

"I'm sorry Darwin; it's just that I don't know what to do right now." Nicole explained. "My boss at the Rainbow Factory wants me to fix my anger problems when I return to work in three days. Otherwise, he'll fire me on the spot."

"It's not that hard mom…" Gumball began. "Dad does it all the time."

"But your dad doesn't go to work everyday Gumball." Nicole pointed out. "Besides, I can't relax with the snap of a finger."

"Maybe you can, Mrs. Watterson." Brian suddenly spoke, earning him Nicole's attention.

"What do you mean, Brian?"

"That's simple, Mrs. Watterson. My mom happens to be a therapist and believe me, she can help you relieve your stress and you can show up at your job like a new person. Just check out her place and at least give it a shot."

"I don't know if some simple therapy will help me, Brian." Nicole spoke with uncertainty.

"Would you rather be stuck in the house doing nothing at all?" asked Mike.

Nicole pondered for a moment, thinking of Brian's suggestion. While the older, blue feline had some reservations about getting help from a therapist, she also realized that it would be a lot better than staying cooped up in the house all day. After all, she could use some fresh air to clear her mind after what happened.

Her mind made up, Nicole focused her attention on Brian, ready to give him her answer.

"Where do I find your mom's workplace?"

* * *

It took a long while, but Nicole eventually found the place where Annie was working at, thanks to the information that Brian provided for her. In front of the older, blue feline was a modest looking building with the sign "New Age U" in front, much to Nicole's amusement.

'_That's a corny way to do business.'_ Nicole thought, chuckling to herself. _'Anyway, let's get this over with.'_

The older, blue feline then approached the front door, opening it to let herself in and as expected, there were some New Age materials hanging around inside the building, from the record labels to the posters. As Nicole wandered around, somewhat awestruck by what she was seeing, a voice spoke out of the blue.

"Welcome. How may I help you?"

As soon as the voice greeted Nicole, the older, blue feline yelped and fell to the floor, startled by this, before she noticed Annie right in front of her, looking at the older, blue feline with a look of concern.

"I'm sorry about that." Annie apologized to Nicole, as she helped the older, blue feline up her feet. "I didn't scare you or anything, did I?"

"I wasn't THAT scared." Nicole insisted, until she noticed Annie looking at her with amusement. "Well, maybe a little bit."

"Fair enough." said Annie. "Anyway, what brings you to my place?"

Despite some hesitation on her part, Nicole took a deep breath before offering the older, purple fox an explanation.

"Well Annie, it all began yesterday…"

* * *

**Five minutes later…**

"…And that's how it happened."

Annie looked at Nicole, having listened to what the older, blue feline had said. Based on her explanation, Nicole was told by her boss to show up in a relaxing demeanor by the time her suspension was over or she'll be fired on the spot. After a few minutes of pondering, the older, purple fox focused her attention to Nicole, ready to talk about what she had in mind.

"Alright Nicole, I think I can help you out with your issues."

"You really mean it?" Nicole asked with enthusiasm.

"Sure, I'm willing to help someone out." Annie replied. "But let me ask you this: are you sure you want to go through with this?"

"If it means keeping my job, then I'll do anything." Nicole replied.

"Alright then." Annie casually said, before the older, purple fox began to playfully bat at one of Nicole's ears, much to the older, blue feline's irritation.

"Hey, cut that out!" Nicole demanded, before she tried to tackle Annie.

But then, as if she had some sort of sixth sense, the older, purple fox calmly sidestepped out of the way, causing Nicole to fall on the floor again, before Annie approached the older, blue feline with concern.

"Well, this is certainly quite serious." Annie commented.

"Wait a minute, you mean you just started and didn't give me a heads up?!" asked an astonished Nicole.

"If I did, it wouldn't make the therapy interesting." Annie explained, prompting Nicole to growl in annoyance.

* * *

After Annie apologized to Nicole about her actions, the older, purple fox led the older, blue feline to the roof of the building where, much to Nicole's surprise, it was filled with exotic plants, and it was also being quite spacious. It was the last thing that the older, blue feline was expecting to see.

"How did you manage to do this?" asked Nicole.

"It's a long story and one that I might tell another day." Annie replied. "Anyway, let's get down to business."

Nodding her head in agreement, Nicole followed Annie's lead until they came across a pair of yoga mats lying in front of them, much to the older, blue feline's curiosity.

"Alright Annie, what is this?"

"Oh, that's simple…" Annie began to explain. "We're going to sit still and just think of nothing but peace and tranquility."

"…Alright, I guess that makes sense." Nicole said, somewhat incredulous with Annie's response, before she and the older, purple fox got into position and cleared their minds.

After a few minutes, Nicole managed to settle down, relaxing her body and easing her mind, as she smiled peacefully to herself.

'_You know, maybe this isn't so bad.'_ Nicole happily thought.

Just then, she felt something fuzzy tickling her nose, much to her curiosity. At first, Nicole just ignored it, trying to find peace and tranquility. But soon, her nose continued to itch, irritating her with each passing minute. At this point, the older, blue feline finally decided that enough was enough.

"Cut it out!" Nicole shouted to Annie, before she lunged right at her.

Annie, however, immediately jumped without warning, dodging Nicole in the process, as the blue feline lunged right towards a cactus right in front of her.

"Someone is certainly prickly today." Annie spoke with amusement, while Nicole groaned in pain.

* * *

Once Annie helped Nicole remove the sharp needles out of her body, the older, purple fox had somehow convinced the older, blue feline to balance herself on a rather long pole, as Nicole is doing her best to keep her composure as best as she could.

"Annie, are you sure this is necessary?" Nicole fearfully asked the older, purple fox.

"Don't worry too much, Nicole." Annie replied. "You just need to keep your head up above the clouds and just let go of your worries."

'_I was afraid of that.'_ Nicole thought, before she focused on maintaining her pose as best as she could.

But as the older, blue feline was doing her best to hold her composure, Annie suddenly leaned over and held her paws right next to Nicole's side, much to her confusion.

"Annie, what are you-" without warning, the older, purple fox began to tickle Nicole, prompting the older, blue feline to hold back her laughter as best as she could.

"Annie…stop it…you're going…to make…" was all Nicole could say, before she fell from the post, laughing out loud, while Annie gracefully jump off from her post and landed right next to the older, blue feline.

"This is certainly no laughing matter." Annie spoke with amusement.

* * *

**One hour later…**

Nicole didn't know how much long she can take anymore of this. First, her attempt to attain peace and tranquility was rudely interrupted by Annie's fuzzy tail. Then, the older, purple fox thought it would be interesting by tickling on the side and almost got herself injured in the process, just so she can wonder how long she can hold her composure.

But that's nothing compared to the few other "therapy sessions" that Annie was dishing out. First, the older, purple fox convinced Nicole to get a massage and the older, blue feline obliged to her request. Initially, Annie was able to give her some comfort with the massage; a few minutes later, however, the older, purple fox began to rub her back roughly and Nicole ended up suffering back pain as a result.

Next, Nicole, along with Annie, ended up in a sauna, where the older, purple fox claimed that the heat will sweat out all of the negative energies in her body. After thirty minutes in the sauna, however, the older, blue feline came out with a severe case of sunburn, much to Annie's embarrassment.

Recently, Nicole was convinced by Annie to listen to some soothing music, in an effort to help her relax. Initially, the older, blue feline was starting to relax herself by listening to the likes of Beethoven and Ottorino. But without warning, the older, purple fox suddenly switched to rock n roll music and it didn't help that Annie had the volume cranked up to maximum.'_I don't know how much more I can take of this!'_ Nicole thought, still shaken from her recent therapy session. _'As far as I'm concerned, Annie is causing more harm than help for me.'_

"Nicole, are you alright?" Annie cautiously asked the older, blue feline.

"I don't know, what do you think?" Nicole answered back with sarcasm to Annie, as the older, purple fox recoiled in shock.

"I'm sorry my therapy sessions didn't help you out." Annie apologized to the older, blue feline. "Normally for me, this would have solved the situation in a flash. But in your case, it seems to be a psychological issue, based on your reactions towards my methods."

"What exactly do you mean by that?" asked Nicole, wanting some specifics from Annie's claims, prompting the older, purple fox to take a deep breath, before offering an explanation to the curious older, blue feline.

"From what I've seen today, it appears that your anger might have been the result of something so traumatic, that just even thinking about it clouds your own judgment and actions, like you want to prove yourself at any cost without thinking of the consequences."

The moment Annie said those words; Nicole suddenly focused her attention on the older, purple fox, as she continued on with her explanation.

"If I had just the slightest clue as to what the origin of your anger is, perhaps it might make some of my sessions a bit easier on you."

Once Annie made her statement, Nicole took a deep breath, decided that this was the right time to give the older, purple fox an answer.

"I think I can help you out on that one."

"What is it?" asked Annie, arching an eyebrow in curiosity.

"You see, it all began when I was a child…" Nicole began.

* * *

**Five minutes later…**

"…And I've been this way ever since."

As soon as Nicole was done finishing her story, Annie looked at the older, purple fox with astonishment, as she was clearly stunned from what she just heard. Apparently, Miss Simian, one of the teachers from Elmore Junior High, has been putting Nicole down just for the sake of sheer amusement, mainly by calling her 'loser' throughout her life.

'_If what Nicole says is true, then it would explain why her anger is getting the best of her.'_ Annie thought, rubbing her chin, before an idea came to mind.

"Perhaps I know a way of getting your anger under control. It won't completely remove the source, but at least I'll be able to alter it. However, it's up to you to decide if you want to try it out or not."

Nicole pondered for a moment, thinking of Annie's offer. The older, blue feline was still irked by the purple fox's treatments and the resulting pain that she went through. However, after looking at the serious look from Annie's face, Nicole decided to give it a shot, despite having reservations about her actions.

"Alright Annie, what do you have in mind?"

* * *

After listening to Annie's idea, Nicole agreed to go ahead with the treatment and before long; the older, blue feline found herself standing in an unused room, while Annie began to do some warm-ups, leaving Nicole uncertain as to what the therapist had in mind.

'_Whatever it is, I really hope it's enough to keep my job.'_ Nicole thought, before the older, purple fox was done with her warm ups and faced the older, blue feline once more.

"Alright, I'm all set…" Annie began. "Now, are you sure you want to do this, Nicole?"

"At this point, I'm willing to try out anything." Nicole replied.

"Alright, that's all I needed to hear."

Once Annie said those words, the older, purple fox remained in her position, standing rather still and taking a deep breath. Before Nicole knew what happened, Annie was surrounded by a bright, green aura, surrounding the older, purple fox, as her now blank eyes shot wide open, before she quickly dashed right toward the startled blue feline.

"What are you-" was all Nicole could say, before Annie used her paws to poke her on the head, neck and the side of her body. Before long, the older, blue feline felt a strange sensation coming from all over her body, especially her head.

'_I don't feel so good.'_ Nicole thought to herself, before she collapsed to the ground, while Annie reverted back to her normal self, looking at the older, blue feline with concern.

"I hope I did the right thing." Annie said to herself. "Now it's up to her."

* * *

Nicole opened her eyes wide open, getting herself up with a look of shock, as she gasped due to the unorthodox methods Annie just used now. But much to the older, blue feline's surprise, she found herself in a seemingly empty wasteland, as Nicole wasn't able to find Annie or the room she was in at all.

"Hello!" Nicole called out. "Is there anyone out there?"

All Nicole received where nothing but her words echoing right back at her, leaving the older, blue feline rather unnerved by this.

"I better get moving and look around." Nicole said to herself, as she wandered around the landscape, trying to figure out where she was to begin with.

'_What did Annie do this time?'_ Nicole thought. _'Whatever it is, this place is really giving me the creeps.'_

Nicole continued to wander around, unsure what to do. After what felt like an eternity, the older, blue feline stopped and heard what appeared to be someone crying, a short distance from where she was.

"Whoever you are, stay put and I'll be there in a second." Nicole called out, before she rushed towards the source. Upon her arrival, she stopped dead in her tracks and couldn't believe what she was looking at.

In front of her was a young, blue feline, wearing a pink bow on top of her head, wearing a white sweater with pink collar and cuffs, with the number one on it and a pink skirt. Judging from appearance, there was no doubt that Nicole was looking at herself when she was just a kid.

It was then that her younger self noticed Nicole's presence, startling her in the process.

"W-who are you?" asked a fearful Young Nicole. "Y-you're not g-going to h-hurt me, a-are you?"

"No sweetie, I won't hurt you at all." Nicole assured her younger self. "I'm just lost and I have no idea where I am. Anyway, why are you crying out here all alone?"

Despite hesitation from her part, Young Nicole took a deep breath and offered her older self an explanation.

"There's this mean, old teacher who keeps picking on me for no reason. Wherever I go, she would show up and call me a…"

"Let me guess, loser." Nicole guessed, much to the surprise of her younger self.

"How did you know?"

"…Let's just say I've had a similar experience." Nicole replied.

Young Nicole looked at her older self, a bit weirded out to hear this. For some reason, she couldn't help but smile, glad to find someone who understood the pain she was going through.

"Look sweetie, I'll tell you something very important…" Nicole began. "Just because that teacher of yours said that one word, doesn't mean it's true at all. If she keeps doing that again, then you must hold your head up high and face them head on."

"Do you really think that could work?"

Before Nicole could respond, she found herself cut off by an eerie cackling, leaving her younger self completely terrified.

"Oh no, she's here." Young Nicole fearfully informed her older self.

"Who exactly is-?"

The older, blue feline heard the eerie cackling once more, only now it has gotten louder and spookier than usual, getting increasingly closer to the two cats, before it stopped dead in its tracks, giving Nicole a full glimpse of whoever she is facing.

'_You have got to be kidding me!'_

In front of both Nicole and her younger self was none other than Miss Simian, or at least it was supposed to be. Somehow, this version of Miss Simian is nothing more than a floating, black apparition, her face being more skull-like, with fiery sunken eyes and hands with sharp claws. The Apparition looked down at her prey and smiled sadistically at them.

"**Nice friend, loser!"** the Apparition shouted, its voice sending chills down their spines.

Unwilling to stick around much longer, Nicole and her younger self ran away from it with all of their might, as the Apparition viciously chased them with joy, hounding them from one corner after another, all the while trying to grab them.

'_This is so not my day right now!'_ a panicked Nicole thought. _'What am I going to do to get myself out of this one?!'_

In the midst of her own thoughts, Nicole noticed that her younger self was no longer by her side. Before long, she spotted her younger self a few feet away, just as the Apparition was slowly approaching her prey.

"**Nice trip, loser!"** the Apparition harshly informed Young Nicole.

At that moment, Nicole, unnerved by the Apparition's words, made a mad dash right towards the ghoulish fiend, before leaping right towards it, planting her foot in its face, as she sent the monster to the ground.

"Don't you dare say that in my presence!" Nicole angrily shouted, while her younger self looked on, astonished with her older self's actions.

"Sweetie, are you alright?" Nicole asked, as she turned and approached her younger self with concern.

Before the older, blue feline made her way to Young Nicole, the Apparition suddenly appeared out of nowhere, grabbing Nicole with its hand, much to the shock of her younger self.

"**How dare you interrupt me!"** the Apparition angrily snarled at Nicole, as the older, blue feline struggled to free herself from its grasp.

Young Nicole, meanwhile, could only look on with horror, uncertain what to do or how to help her older self out. Then, something hit her.

'_You must hold your head up high and face them head on.'_

The moment Young Nicole heard those words from her older self, a look of determination soon formed on her face and soon enough, she marched right up to the Apparition, still menacingly glaring at Nicole.

"Put her right down this instant!"

The moment Young Nicole shouted, the Apparition focused its attention right at her, much to her shock. But the shock was soon replaced by amusement, as the Apparition laugh its head off.

"**Nice try, loser! You got to do better than that!"**

Expecting Young Nicole to look down on the ground in disappointment as always, she instead continued to glare at the Apparition, unimpressed by its response, much to its shock and irritation.

"**Don't just stand there looking at me like that! Get out of my sight this instant loser!"**

Young Nicole continued to glare right back at the Apparition, startled that she has remained where she standing, ignoring its demand and insult.

"**Stop looking at me! Go away right now loser!"**

As the Apparition continued to beg and insult the young, blue feline, Nicole noticed something odd was happening to it: glowing cracks were forming all around the ghoulish fiend, increasing with each failed insult as the Apparition vainly tried to put her younger self down. By now, it looked like it was in a completely weakened state.

"**Just…go…away…you…you…"** was the last thing that the Apparition said, before it slowly crumbled into pieces, allowing Nicole to free herself from it grasp, landing safely right next to her younger self, just as the Apparition disappeared into nothingness.

"What you did back there was very amazing." Nicole praised her younger self. "Thanks for saving me back there!"

"It was nothing…" Young Nicole insisted, rubbing her head sheepishly. "Besides, I wanted to thank you for standing up to myself."

The two felines couldn't help but look at each other and smile, glad that the other was fine and well. Without any further hesitation, they both proceeded to hug one another, just as a glowing light slowly enveloped them.

* * *

Nicole woke up and took a quick look of her surroundings, surprised to find herself back in the same room she was in, before looking back at a concerned Annie.

"Nicole…" Annie began. "How do you feel right now?"

Nicole didn't answer right away, as she rubbed her sore head, before she realized that she felt light and energetic all of a sudden, as if some heavy burden has been released from her body.

"I feel…fine." the older, blue feline responded. "Actually, I feel a lot better now. I don't know what you did, but whatever it is, I suddenly feel less stressed. Thank you so much for the help Annie."

With that, Nicole gave the older, purple fox one big, bone crushing hug. Annie for her part ignored the pain all over her body and smiled, glad that she was able to help the older, blue feline with her problem.

* * *

After saying her farewell to Annie, Nicole happily exited the shop, feeling like a new person for the very first time. But as she made her way to her car, the older, blue feline stopped dead in her tracks, as she spotted a certain old baboon heading right at her, causing Nicole to lose her footing and trip.

"Nice trip, loser." Miss Simian insulted the older, blue feline.

But before Miss Simian continued on with her walk, Nicole, having brushed herself off, turned to the cantankerous teacher and what she said next was not what Miss Simian was expecting at all.

"Thanks for the compliment, Miss Simian." Nicole jokingly said.

With that, Nicole went inside her vehicle and happily drove off; leaving the old baboon both dumbfounded and speechless by the older, blue feline's action.

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 45-The Betrayal_

_When Brian and the Watterson siblings discovered that Rhonda holds a grudge towards Mike, the four tries to figure out why and tries to get them to reconcile._

**Tidbits**

**-First time that Brian had a minor role in this one, but I wanted to at least include him in this chapter.**

**-The direction that I have in mind for this chapter wasn't what I expected, but it turned out good nevertheless.**

**-I wanted to thank Sal for his suggestion for The Calm.**

**I hope everyone enjoyed this and I'll be seeing ya next chapter!**


	45. The Betrayal

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 45-The Betrayal

The bell rang for the last time at Elmore Junior High, as every student made their way to the main entrance, heading for home until tomorrow. Among the students were Brian, Mike and the Watterson siblings, discussing with one another about what had occurred in school today.

"Today's lesson wasn't as complicated as I thought." Mike commented.

"No kidding." said Darwin. "Miss Simian surely knows a thing or two about chemistry."

"Darwin, she's over three hundred years old, of course she's going to know chemistry rather well." Gumball stated the obvious to his brother.

"At least you guys understood the subject rather well for a change." said Anais.

"At least it's better than being inundated with pop quizzes almost every day." Brian stated, before the purple fox check the time on his cell phone. "Oh, look at the time; I need to get going. I'll see you guys later."

With that, Brian turned away from the school, much to Mike's curiosity.

"Hold on there, Brian…" the maroon badger began, prompting the purple fox to stop in his tracks and turn around. "Who are you meeting?"

'_Oh, that's right, Mike doesn't know about her yet.'_ Brian thought, before he took a deep breath and offered an answer to the maroon badger.

"Sorry, I'm actually heading to Elmore Academy to meet up with Rhonda."

The moment the purple fox said those words, Mike stood still with a look of shock on his face, stunned to hear Brian's answer. Fortunately, it appeared that no one noticed his reactions, before the maroon badger shook himself back to reality.

"Oh…look at the time. I need to get back home to, um, help my mom bake some cookies. Yeah, that's right." Mike suddenly said, before he went back to his house on his own, to the confusion of his friends.

"What was that just now?" asked Gumball.

"I don't know Gumball, but I wouldn't mind trying Mrs. Badgero's cookies." Darwin replied.

"Still, it was weird that Mike went off just like that." Anais noted.

"We'll just talk to Mike tomorrow about it." said Brian. "Anyway, I have to get going, so I'll see you guys tomorrow."

While Brian went to the academy, a short distance away, Mike continued to walk his way home rather nervously, still stunned to hear the purple fox's answer moments ago.

'_Oh no…'_ Mike worriedly thought. _'Brian will probably try to introduce me to Rhonda and that's the last thing I want to happen. It will only lead to disaster!'_

* * *

Several minutes have passed since Brian left school, but despite the long path, the trip was certainly worth it for the purple fox, as he spotted Rhonda waiting right near the gates of Elmore Academy, just like every other day.

"Hey Rhonda." Brian greeted the mouse. "How's your day going?"

"It's going pretty good so far, Brian." Rhonda replied. "Anyway, are you up for a game of basketball?"

"Sure, I don't mind." Brian happily responded, as he and his crush walked their way towards their destination. "Oh yeah, that reminds me, I made a new friend just a few weeks ago."

"That's great! I'm happy for you." said Rhonda. "Can you tell me who it is?"

"His name is Michael Badgero." Brian answered the mouse question, causing Rhonda to stop and look at the purple fox with a look of shock on her face.

"I'm sorry, but could you repeat that answer?"

"Like I said, his name is Michael Badgero." Brian replied once more, before giving Rhonda a suspicious look. "Are you alright, Rhonda? Was it something I said?"

"Oh…I'm sorry Brian." the mouse apologized to her friend. "I wasn't paying any attention, that's all."

Brian continued to look at Rhonda, somewhat unconvinced by the mouse's answer. However, the purple fox decided not to question her at the moment and put his suspicions aside.

"Alright then, if you say so." said Brian, before he and Rhonda continued onward to the park.

For the last several minutes, Brian and Rhonda were playing another game of basketball, just like they always had been for the past few months. However, today turned out to be quite different for Brian, as Rhonda was unable to concentrate and play the way she usually does, which allowed the purple fox to score more points than usual. With each passing minute, Rhonda seemed more distant; something that Brian noticed right away, much to his concern.

"Rhonda, are you alright?" Brian asked the mouse, as he approached her, snapping Rhonda back to reality.

"Sorry if I'm acting off today. I just got a lot things going on in my mind. In fact, I should get back home and do my homework. I'll see you later."

Before Brian knew what happened next, Rhonda immediately left the basketball court, walking towards her house, leaving the purple fox completely dumbfounded by the mouse's actions.

'_That was really weird.'_ Brian thought to himself.

While the purple fox tried to figure out Rhonda's strange behavior, the mouse meanwhile continued to walk towards home as calmly as she could.

'_I hoped that I wouldn't have to deal with HIM again.'_ Rhonda thought to herself, before she felt a few tears coming from her eyes, prompting her to force them back down.

* * *

The next day, Brian told his friends of what had happened between him and Rhonda at the park. As soon as he was done finishing his explanation, the Watterson siblings looked at him, understandably surprised by what they have just heard right now.

"I have to admit, that was really strange for Rhonda to behave like that." Gumball commented.

"Tell me about it." said Brian. "She really wasn't herself at all."

"Perhaps its best if we talk to Rhonda ourselves and hope she'll give us an explanation." Darwin suggested.

"That does sound like a good idea, Darwin…" Anais began. "But let's do that after school."

"Alright." Brian agreed, before he noticed one person missing among the group. "Say, where's Mike at?"

"We were hoping you would know where he is." said Gumball.

"He didn't show up at the bus stop this morning." Darwin informed the purple fox.

"That is strange, considering that he always looked forward to gym class." Anais commented.

"That's right…" Brian began. "Friday is always Mike's favorite day because it's dodge ball day and he's very good." Brian then thought about it. _'In fact, he can be quite the maniac when he takes down by 7-8 guys by himself. He even got the nickname "Clutch" for his efforts.'_

Brian and the Watterson siblings continued to ponder, trying to figure out where the maroon badger was, until a few minutes later, an idea came to the purple fox's mind.

"Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?"

In response, Gumball, Darwin and Anais nodded in agreement, confirming Brian's suspicion, prompting the purple fox to take a deep breath, realizing that they had the same answer as he does.

"I never thought he would be heading off to Elmore Academy."

"But if he really is going there, then we need to make sure he's alright." said Darwin.

"Darwin's got a point Brian…" Anais began. "We really should check up on him before he does something reckless."

"Then what are we standing around here for? We should go to Elmore Academy right now!" Gumball declared.

"Hold it right there!" a certain ape spoke out, causing Brian and the Watterson brothers to yelp, while Anais quickly hid in the closest locker.

"You boys aren't going anywhere! Get your butts to class right now before I inform Principal Brown of your attempt to skip school!"

Grudgingly, the trio did as they were told and went to their teacher's classroom, while Anais quietly tiptoed away from Miss Simian before exiting Elmore Junior High.

* * *

Having a genius IQ proved to be quite helpful for Anais, as the child prodigy quickly made her way to Elmore Academy, opening the school gate by shooting electricity from her finger, before hiding from one bush after another, until she spotted Mike's tail near an open window, as the maroon badger made his way inside the academy.

'_What are you up to?'_ Anais thought in suspicion, before she made her way inside the building.

Meanwhile, Mike quietly walked around the hallway, hoping to avoid making a ruckus in the academy, before hiding inside the janitor's closet, trying to catch his breath.

"Alright Mike, you can do this. Just stay calm and get this over with."

"Am I interrupting anything?" asked a certain child prodigy, prompting the maroon badger to yelp as he saw Anais right behind him. Somehow, the pink rabbit was able to make her way inside the janitor's closet with ease.

"What are you doing here?!"

"I should be asking you the same question." the child prodigy responded.

"I, um, just wanted to see what this place looks like. Yeah, that's it." Mike sheepishly explained.

Anais, however, remained unconvinced by the maroon badger's excuse, prompting Mike to take a deep breath and offer an explanation to the child prodigy.

"Alright, I do know about Elmore Academy. The reason I came here is so I can make things right with Rhonda. I just hope that she's still not mad at me for what happened a few months ago."

The moment Mike made that last statement, Anais was quite shocked to hear that from the maroon badger. The child prodigy would never suspect Rhonda, Brian's secret crush, would be capable of holding such a grudge.

"Why would someone like Rhonda be mad at you? What exactly did you do to get her upset?"

Just as Mike was about to explain everything to the child prodigy, the door to the janitor's closet suddenly opened and much to the duo's dismay, a certain broccoli was looking right at them.

"Hey guys, we got ourselves some uninvited guests!" Joey called out to his friends.

"You may want to run. I'll buy you some time!" Mike informed the child prodigy.

Despite some hesitation on her part, Anais reluctantly complied and made a run for it, while Mike grabbed a broom to arm himself, just as Lloyd and Ray showed up to back up Joey.

"Eat dust bunnies!" Mike shouted, before the maroon badger dashed right at the goons, knocking all three down in the process.

Undaunted by this, Joey, Lloyd and Ray quickly got up and lunged right towards the maroon badger. In response, Mike blocked each of the goons' barrages of punches with the broom, holding them back as best he can, giving him enough time to think of a strategy to take them down.

'_It's now or never!'_ the maroon badger thought, as he performed a quick sweep with the broom, knocking the goons down on their back, just as every student and teacher were starting to gather around them.

'_Looks like it's time for me to skedaddle!'_

With that, Mike immediately ran through the crowd, who was both shocked and stunned by what had occurred, with Rhonda being among them.

* * *

Mike and Anais quickly ran back to Elmore Junior High as fast as they could, as the duo quietly snuck back inside, with the child prodigy heading right towards her own class, while the maroon badger made it right inside Miss Simian's class, unintentionally interrupting her lesson and surprising the cantankerous teacher.

"Care to explain why you're late this morning, Mr. Badgero?" Miss Simian asked, demanding an answer from Mike.

"Oh, about that…" Mike began, rubbing his head sheepishly. "My alarm clock didn't go off today... sorry."

Miss Simian was somewhat irked by the maroon badger's answer, but decided not to ask any further questions, wanting to continue her lesson in her class.

"Alright Mike, I'll let this one slide, provided that you'll be on your best behavior."

Nodding his head in agreement, Mike made his way towards his desk, while Gumball, Darwin and Brian looked at the maroon badger, curious and suspicious of their friend.

"Guys, do you think we should ask Mike where he's been?" Gumball whispered to his friends.

"I don't think it's the right time or place to talk about it, Gumball." Darwin replied.

"Besides, he looks rather anxious." Brian noted. "Let's just talk to him this afternoon in the cafeteria. The last thing we want to do is get him into any more trouble."

The Watterson brothers nodded their heads in agreement with the purple fox, before all three focused their attention on their teacher's lesson.

* * *

The afternoon had finally arrived at school and as usual, everyone, including Brian, Mike and the Watterson siblings, were at their usual spot in the cafeteria. While the maroon badger was busy eating his food, Gumball, Darwin, Anais and Brian looked at each other, deciding that it was the right time to get some answers out of their friend.

"Alright Mike…" Brian began. "Tell us why you went to Elmore Academy."

Mike stopped eating and turned his attention to his friends, giving them a dumbfounded look.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Mike nonchalantly said, hoping Anais didn't tell them.

"C'mon Mike, you know full well that you didn't oversleep this morning." Gumball stated.

"Besides, we noticed that you were rather anxious when you arrived in Miss Simian's class." Darwin pointed out.

"All we're saying is that we just want you to be honest, that's all." Brian insisted, causing Mike to hesitate for a moment. Mike didn't offer a good response as all he did was stare at the windows that he suddenly found really interesting.

Mike's response, however, only ended up irking the four in the process, especially Anais, who approached the maroon badger with a serious look on her face.

"If I recall, you were about to tell me about why you were at Elmore Academy, just before one of Ivan's friends showed up." Anais said, announcing her presence to him.

The moment the child prodigy brought this up, Mike realized that he could no longer make any more excuses and with that in mind, the maroon badger reached under his shirt and showed the necklace in front of his friends.

"Why are you showing us your necklace?" asked Brian.

"Remember when you guys asked me about this the other day?"

"Yeah, you said it was a gift and it was from someone we wouldn't know." Brian replied, recalling the incident that took place in the library.

"I wasn't lying. I just wasn't well informed. Truth is this was given to me by Rhonda herself." Mike admitted, much to the surprise of Brian and the Watterson siblings. "This actually has another piece and Rhonda still has it, or least I think she still does."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Gumball, causing Mike to gloomily look down on the ground.

"Rhonda still hasn't forgiven me for revealing her secret, even though I had nothing to do with it."

"What secret?" Darwin asked with curiosity.

"A few months ago before my transfer to Elmore Junior High, Rhonda told me that she's tried out a few dresses and kind of likes them. She also didn't want anyone to find out and insisted that I never tell anyone. Unfortunately, the very next day, her secret was out all over Elmore Academy and it took immediate effect on Rhonda. No one knew she sometimes wore dresses for fun and she was continually questioned about it."

"So, how bad did she take it?" Brian cautiously asked the maroon badger.

"What do you think? Almost immediately, I found myself facing her wrath and she accused me of telling everyone. I told her that I didn't do it, but she didn't believe me. Then she slapped me and said that our friendship was over."

Mike began to feel tears when he brought this up but forced them down, as the four looked on, saddened to hear this from their friend.

"I'm so sorry to hear that." Anais said to the maroon badger.

"It gets worse." Mike spoke once more. "It was also on that day that Ivan, whom I thought was a friend, decided to sever his friendship with me and sent me to the hospital."

Brian and the Watterson siblings were shocked to hear that last part from the maroon badger. It was bad enough to be accused of something he didn't do, but to get beaten up and sent to the hospital from someone Mike thought was a friend was downright horrifying.

"If you're interested, I could show you the scars on my-"

"Thanks but no thanks; we don't want to lose our lunch." Gumball frantically said, cutting off the maroon badger. "Anyway, that still doesn't explain why you went to the academy to begin with."

"…I only returned to the Academy just so I could return the necklace to her without having to face her again," Mike started to explain. "When I made it to the school building, I saw Ivan hitting on Rhonda as usual."

"Did she-" was all Brian could say, before the maroon badger suddenly answered his question.

"Don't be silly, Brian. Rhonda continued to turn Ivan down as usual. I'm just amazed that Neanderthal doesn't give up that easily. Anyway, I wanted to return the necklace to Rhonda, hoping things wouldn't be awkward, until a certain pink rabbit showed up and ruined my plan."

Mike narrowed his eyes towards Anais, who could only nervously laugh in response, as she rubbed her head sheepishly.

"That makes sense then." Brian commented. "Anyway, back to the subject, if you didn't tell anyone in Elmore Academy about Rhonda's secret, then who did?"

"I honestly don't know." Mike admitted. "And even if I did, the main problem is I don't have any physical proof to back up my claim as I was the only one that could have known."

"If what you say is true, then how are you going to get the answer out of them? No offense, but they're not going to walk up to you and say that they did it in front of everyone." Brian pointed out. Mike thought it over for a second.

"I don't know, but when I do, I'll make sure that I have the last word." Mike replied.

"Maybe I can help you out." said Anais, much to the maroon badger's surprise. "I just wanted to make it up to you for interrupting your plans. At the very least, hear me out on it."

"…Alright, what do you have in mind?" Mike questioned the child prodigy.

"Everyone gather around and I'll tell you what I have in mind."

The boys nodded their heads in agreement and complied with Anais, as all five huddled up and the child prodigy began to explain everything to them.

* * *

After school was done for the day, Brian led the Watterson siblings to Rhonda's house, hoping that the mouse would be at home. At the very least, they hoped to be able to hear her side of the story.

'_Let's hope that Rhonda is a reasonable person.'_ Brian thought, before he pushed the doorbell, while he and his friends waited patiently for the yellow mouse. After a few seconds, the front door opened, as Rhonda found herself facing her friends.

"Oh…what brings you guys over here?" asked a pleasantly surprised Rhonda.

"Mike told us everything about what happened a few months ago." Brian replied.

"We were just curious to see what your take was on it." Gumball stated.

"At the very least, just tell us the honest truth." Darwin insisted.

"We just wanted to hear it from both sides, that's all." Anais explained.

Rhonda was annoyed by this, upset that the maroon badger dared to tell them about that incident. At the same time, the four were just curious and really wanted to know what happened, so the mouse decided that she might as well tell the whole story.

"Alright you guys. Come inside and I'll explain everything." Rhonda said to her friends, as she allowed the four to come in to the living room before the mouse began to tell them about the incident.

"As you guys already know, I began to develop an interest in some dresses a few months ago and told only Mike about it, since I've known him for three years…"

* * *

**Five minutes later…**

"…And ever since then, I wanted nothing to do with that backstabber!"

Once Rhonda was done telling her story, Brian and the Watterson siblings could only look at the mouse in shock. Her story was quite similar to Mike's, how her secret was somehow exposed for all of Elmore Academy to learn and how she slapped Mike and ended her friendship with him as a result. Just seeing the look of anger on her face was something the four weren't used to seeing at all.

'_Whoa! She really holds such a grudge towards Mike!'_ Brian thought, before the purple fox cleared his throat and started to speak out.

"Rhonda, did you at least give Mike a chance to tell his side of the story?" asked the purple fox. "The least you can do is allow him to give an explanation. You shouldn't have jumped to conclusions to begin with. Would you do it now if he was here?"

Rhonda, though shocked by Brian's criticism, pondered for a moment, thinking what her friend just told her. Eventually, the mouse turned to the purple fox, ready to give Brian her answer.

"Yeah, I would give him a chance."

"That's all I need to hear." said Brian, before the purple fox made his way to the front door and opened it. "Alright Mike, you can come in."

On cue, the maroon badger came out of the bushes, dusting off the leftover leaves from his body, before Mike came inside the Paxton residence, as Rhonda looked on.

'_Mike always has the tendency to be bizarre whenever he wants to be.'_ Rhonda thought, before she and Mike looked at one another, each feeling discomfort with the other's presence.

"So…how's your day going, Rhonda?" Mike awkwardly asked.

"It's good, I guess." the mouse replied, before she gave the maroon badger a serious look. "So let's hear it." Rhonda crossed her arms, arching an eyebrow, waiting for Mike to give her an explanation. The maroon badger, however, pulled something from under his shirt and much to the mouse's surprise; he showed her a familiar item right in front of her.

"Is that the necklace I gave you back in Elmore Elementary?" Rhonda asked Mike. "Why do you still have it?"

"The necklace is all I have from our friendship Rhonda, and I refuse to throw it away." Mike explained. "At one point, I was more than a friend to you. Something like that can't be taken away from a slap on the face."

Rhonda continued listening to Mike's story, slowly calming down, though not enough to quell her anger. Even so, the mouse decided to hear the maroon badger out.

"Alright Mike, you made your point, but just answer the question: if you didn't tell everyone in Elmore Academy my secret, then who did?"

"Honestly, I don't know." Mike admitted. "But I suspect that some gossiper just happened to pass by and must have heard your secret and…"

The maroon badger trailed off when he noticed Rhonda giving him a vicious glare, sending chills right down Mike's spine, before Brian and the Watterson siblings immediately confronted the enraged mouse.

"Rhonda, you need to be calm about this." Brian attempted to calm the mouse down. "I thought you would allow Mike to let him explain his side of the story."

"Brian's right, Rhonda…" Anais began. "You can't behave in that sort of manner."

"At the very least, can you calm down for us?" asked Gumball, with Darwin nodding his head in agreement.

Rhonda took a deep breath and sighed, while the four felt relieved that the mouse was able to calm down, if only for a moment.

"Dude, for someone who can be sweet, Rhonda can be very scary." Darwin whispered to Gumball.

"Remind me not to get on her bad side." Gumball whispered back.

"Guys…" Mike began, prompting the five to turn their attention to the maroon badger. "I appreciate the effort, but this is going nowhere."

Mike then turned around and was about to leave the house when Brian stopped him in his tracks, putting his paw on his shoulder.

"Mike, Rhonda needs to know the truth, no matter what." Brian insisted, before turning his attention to the mouse. "And you need to stop jumping to conclusions."

"I don't believe this…" Rhonda began, slightly shocked from what she was witnessing. "You're just going to trust Mike by his words alone?"

"If I recall, you did the same thing for me at one point." Brian reminded the mouse.

Rhonda thought for a moment, recalling the chipmunk incident that took place a while ago. It was then that she had an epiphany.

'_I'm such a hypocrite.'_ Rhonda thought, realizing that she never gave Mike a chance when he said he wasn't responsible for spilling her secret.

"Mike, can you tell me…" Rhonda trailed off, as she, along with Brian and the Watterson siblings, noticed that Mike was no longer with them, having somehow left without making a single sound.

"Does he always do that?" Brian asked Rhonda.

"Yeah, he likes to disappear and then reappear. We should probably go look for him."

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement and soon, the five left the Paxton residence and began their search for the maroon badger.

* * *

Several minutes have passed as the five searched for Mike all over Elmore, thinking of the possible places that the maroon badger might have gone to. Eventually, after a while, they made their way to the playground, the only place they haven't searched yet.

"Do you think Mike could be here?" asked Darwin

"I don't know Darwin, but we should check it out just in case." Rhonda replied. "Besides, it's one of the few places that Mike and I used to go."

The four agreed with the mouse and searched the area for the maroon badger; all the while Rhonda remained standing on the spot and started to reminisce about her past friendship with Mike.

* * *

**Three years ago…**

Nine year old Rhonda was wandering around the playground and having a good time, whether it was playing on the monkey bars or going down the slide. Just then, the precocious, little mouse noticed a little boy being surrounded by a group of bullies. He was a young badger with maroon fur, wearing a simple green shirt and brown shorts, as he stared down at the brutes with a glare.

"Hey!" Rhonda shouted, as she made her way to the maroon badger's aid. "Leave him alone!"

The bullies, as well as the maroon badger, stopped what they were doing and saw a mouse with yellow fur and short, boyish brown hair, wearing a white shirt, blue overalls and red sneakers.

"What do you want, twerp?" one of the bullies demanded. "We're busy right now, so get out of our sight!"

"I don't think so!" Rhonda rebuffed, giving the bullies a glare. "I'm not leaving until you guys leave!"

"…Fine, but only because we won't hurt a girl." the lead bully stated, before him and his pals left, allowing Rhonda to approach the maroon badger.

"Are you alright?"

"You know, I could have handled them myself."

"I didn't want to see you hurt." Rhonda insisted. "Besides, someone so cute doesn't deserve a beating."

The maroon badger blushed in response, somewhat embarrassed by the mouse's statement. At the same time, he couldn't help but be amazed that someone like her can be cute and brave at the same time.

"My name is Rhonda Paxton." the mouse introduced herself. "What's your name?"

"…Michael. Michael Badgero." Mike greeted Rhonda, giving her a smile as well.

* * *

"So Mike, did you get the gift I wanted?" asked an eager Rhonda, waiting patiently outside a shop.

"Yeah, but I had to use all of my lunch allowance to get it." Mike replied, holding the gift box on his side.

"Sorry about that." said Rhonda, as she rubbed her head sheepishly. "To make it up, I brought you a gift as well."

Rhonda then showed the maroon badger a similar gift box, as the mouse handed it to Mike. Without any further hesitation, the maroon badger opened it and picked up a necklace inside the box.

"I know it's not much, but it's the only one I could afford." Rhonda admitted.

"It's alright, Rhonda. I actually like it." said Mike. "Thank you so much."

Rhonda couldn't help but smile, glad that the maroon badger enjoyed his gift.

* * *

"I can't believe you Mike!" Rhonda shouted, approaching the startled maroon badger in the hallway of Elmore Academy. "I told you not to tell anyone! How could you?!"

"Rhonda, I swear, I had nothing to do with it!" Mike attempted to explain.

Rhonda, however, was unconvinced by the maroon badger's claim, promptly slapping him on the face, leaving an imprint in the process.

"I trusted you and you went behind my back! I don't want to hear any more of your excuses! Our friendship is over!"

With that, the mouse turned and left, leaving a shocked and devastated Mike in the hallway.

* * *

**Present…**

The moment Rhonda recalled her recent memory of her interactions with Mike; the mouse felt tears streaming from her eyes, shocked for the way she treated the maroon badger.

"Rhonda, are you alright?" asked Brian, earning him the mouse's attention. "Look, it's alright, I know that what you did wasn't on purpose and I'm sure Mike feels the same way."

"I know what you're doing and I don't deserve it, Brian." Rhonda stated, wiping a few tears from her face. "Mike was my friend and I threw him away like he was nothing. I never even gave him a chance to tell his side of the story."

"Rhonda, everyone deserves a second chance and you're no exception. Just let Mike know that you're sorry and you want to start over with him."

Rhonda couldn't help but smile, glad that Brian was right with her when she needed it.

"Guys, I think I found something!" Gumball called out, prompting everyone to head in the blue feline's direction, as the four gathered around a bar that was right next to a slide, noticing the necklace hanging on it.

"Mike always loved to play on it." Rhonda noted, as the mouse made her way to the bar and tried to get the necklace off.

"But that still doesn't explain where Mike is." Anais pointed out.

"Plus, why would he leave his necklace here?" asked Darwin.

"Yeah, that is pretty strange." Brian muttered.

"Hey, what are you boneheads doing here?" a certain red bear shouted, prompting the five to turn around and see Ivan and his gang from a distance. Their presence was enough to cause Rhonda to lose her balance and almost fall to the floor, but not before Brian managed to catch her.

"Are you alright Rhonda?" asked a concerned Brian.

"I'm fine, thanks to you." the mouse replied, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

Ivan couldn't believe what he just witnessed: Rhonda, the girl of his dreams, was in the arms of Brian, the purple fox he deeply despised. The look of shock was soon replaced by sheer anger and soon, he and his gang approached the five.

"Guys, we got to do something!" Gumball informed his friends.

"Don't worry Gumball, I got this!" Darwin exclaimed, grabbing some sand with his flippers and throwing it right in Ivan's face.

"Aah!" Ivan groaned. "You'll pay for that, Blubber Boy!"

In blind fury, the red bear missed his target by a long shot, as his fist ended up hitting Joey in the face. In the midst of the confusion, the five immediately ran off before either Ivan or his gang could compose themselves.

* * *

Brian, Rhonda and the Watterson siblings ran with all of their might, turning from one corner to another, with Ivan and his gang right behind them. In an effort to lose the four brutes, the five made a quick turn down an alleyway, a decision that proved to be regrettable, as they found themselves facing a dead end.

"Great, this keeps getting better." Brian commented.

"Well, well, looks like you and your friends got nowhere else to run." Ivan spoke with amusement, causing the five to yelp.

"Just you wait until Mike shows up." Brian taunted, prompting the red bear to laugh his head off.

"You seriously think he's going to show up and save you guys again?"

"Yeah, he's probably too ashamed after what happened to him." Ray spoke, much to Rhonda's curiosity.

"I beg your pardon?"

"If you must know, I was the one who found out your secret." Ray explained. "When Ivan found out about it, he told me to spread the word all over Elmore Academy and have Mike take the fall, all in an effort to keep you and Mike apart."

Rhonda, along with Brian and the Watterson siblings were shocked by Ray's admission, as the bat continued on with his explanation.

"Once I was done spreading the rumor, Ivan decided to give Mike a beating of a lifetime, wanting that badger to know that he lost everything and there was nothing he could do about it."

"Thank you for giving me what I need."

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up to see Mike on the railings, as he looked down on the red bear and his gang with a smirk. It didn't take too long for them to realize what had occurred.

"Did you just-" was all Joey could say, before the maroon badger cut him off.

"Let me show you!" said Mike, revealing a recorder in his paw. "Sorry I had to leave but I needed this. And I also need this..." Mike played the message over again to Ivan and his gang. "You know you all can get juvie for what you did to me, right?"

Ivan and his friends continued to look on, surprised that the maroon badger had once again made a fool out of them. Realizing the disadvantage they were in, there was only one way to get out of it.

"Come on you guys, let's get out of here." Ivan grudgingly informed his friends, before all four left the alleyway, while Mike jumped to the ground to meet up with his friends.

"Thanks for saving us back there." said Gumball.

"Yeah, that was a close one." Darwin noted.

"It looks like we owe you big time." Anais commented.

"But there's still one thing we wanted to know: where were you and why do you have a recorder on you?" asked Brian.

"Oh, that's simple…" Mike began. "I put a note behind one of Ivan's friends when I was at the academy, hoping for them to show up at the park in the afternoon, around the same time you guys showed up. I was hoping for one of them to accidentally reveal what really happened but I didn't see any of them at the park. Once I followed the direction of your screams, the rest is history." Everyone looked at Mike in disbelief as he was twelve steps ahead of anyone.

"That makes sense now." said Rhonda. "Look Mike, I'm really sorry for not believing you in the first place. Can you ever forgive me?"

"I don't know Rhonda, what's in it for me?" Mike asked, leaving Rhonda quite nervous by this. Then, a smirk formed on the maroon badger's face. "I'm just kidding Rhonda. Apology accepted."

The mouse, along with her friends, could only smile in response, glad that everything turned out alright in the end.

* * *

The rest of the day went on without any further incidents and before long, the six decided to have a good time at the park playing on the playground. While Gumball, Darwin and Anais were playing on the monkey bars, Brian and Rhonda sat on the swings together, while Mike lay down on his favorite slide.

"Hang on a second, Brian…" Rhonda began. "I want to have a quick chat with Mike."

Brian nodded his head in agreement, as the mouse made her way to the maroon badger, sitting on the ground right next to him, pulling an item from her pocket and showing it to him. It was the necklace Mike left on the slide.

"Mike, I just wanted to let you know that I didn't throw it away after what happened. I know it won't change what happened, but I want you to at least have it back."

Mike looked at the necklace and pondered for a moment, while Rhonda looked on with uncertainty. Eventually, the maroon badger pulled out two new necklaces and handed it back to the mouse and for a moment, the two necklaces formed a shape of a heart. One half was yellow, the other purple.

"I think it's best if you keep both of them." Mike explained. "Besides, it's more fitting on you."

"What do you mean by that?" asked a confused Rhonda.

"You'll know the answer soon enough." Mike replied, before he got up and made his way to Brian. "If there was ever a time to ask her, now would be the opportune moment."

With that, Mike walked away, while Brian pondered for a moment, before he realized what the maroon badger meant by that statement.

'_Alright, here goes nothing.'_ Brian thought, before the purple fox took a deep breath, got off the swing and made his way to Rhonda.

"So Rhonda…" Brian began, as he felt his whole body shaking. "I-if you're i-interested, do y-you want to go o-out s-sometime?"

Rhonda looked at her friend, a bit weirded out by his stuttering, until she understood exactly what was going on, as she look down at the pendant on her hand before focusing her attention on the purple fox.

"Sure Brian, I'd be happy to." Rhonda replied, much to Brian's joy, while the mouse couldn't help but smile and think of the one person who made this possible.

'_Mike, you may be the most unpredictable sane boy I have ever met.'_

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 46-The Closet_

_Brian ends up accidentally getting locked in the janitor's closet with Ocho. Now, as he tries to find a way out, he has to avoid provoking the volatile-tempered spider._

**Tidbits**

**-Wow, this is the longest chapter I have ever made! Hope it stays that way!**

**-Normally, I would do at least 4 chapters before I feature Rhonda, but I felt that I've already established the relationship between her and Brian. So I finally decided that it's time for them to become a couple.**

**-I also wanted to thank Sal for his help, as well as his suggestion for it.**

**Thanks to everyone who read The Betrayal and I'll be seeing ya next chapter!**


	46. The Closet

**The Newcomer**

_An Amazing World of Gumball Story_

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 46-The Closet

It was just another day in Elmore Junior High and as always, Brian, along with Gumball, Darwin and Mike, were sitting at their usual spot in the cafeteria, eating their food, while Gumball was telling his friends of one of the many misadventures that have occurred in Elmore.

"So let me get this straight…" Mike began, looking at Gumball with curiosity. "Are you telling us that you and Darwin created some sort of living creature, just by using a microwave?"

"Of course Mike. Believe me, Kenneth was more than a handful for me and Darwin." Gumball insisted.

"You named it Kenneth?" Brian asked with incredulity.

"We could have given it another name. It was the only one that Gumball and I could think of." Darwin replied.

"Anyway, long story short, Darwin and I were able to stop Kenneth's rampage, before we sent him off to the Forest of Doom." Gumball explained.

As Gumball was finished telling the latest story, a certain 8-bit spider suddenly made his way to the boys' table.

"Hey guys." Ocho greeted the four.

"Oh…hi Ocho." Brian nervously greeted the spider, while Gumball and Darwin reluctantly waved their hands at him.

"Hey Ocho." Mike nonchalantly greeted Ocho, before turning his attention to his friends with curiosity. "Why are you three looking at him like that?"

"Sorry if we're acting like this." Gumball apologized to the maroon badger. "It's just that, Ocho has quite the temper and would get hostile without realizing it, so everyone has to be careful what they're saying without upsetting him."

Puzzled by his friend's statement, Mike looked down at Ocho on the floor, who was still in a happy mood, something that left the maroon badger dumbfounded.

'_How could someone so small pose such a big threat?'_ Mike thought, before the spider looked up and noticed the badger staring at him.

"Why are you staring at me like that?"

Mike didn't respond to the spider's question immediately, instead pondering on how to answer Ocho. Eventually, the maroon badger managed to come up with a response to test Gumball's claim.

"Because staring isn't illegal and I'm weird, FEAR ME!" Mike stated out loud.

The maroon badger's answer, however, ended up irking Ocho and before Mike knew, the spider floated right at him, getting closer to his face.

"Are you sure about that? ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THAT? **ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THAT?!"**

As the spider's words were intensified with each passing second, Mike continued to look at Ocho with astonishment at the change in attitude.

'_Wow! Gumball wasn't kidding!'_ Mike thought, before he gave the spider a smile and resumed eating his lunch.

Ocho, for his part, continued to look at the maroon badger, curious as to his demeanor. Eventually, the spider shrugged his shoulder and left the table, before Mike looked at Ocho with a disturbed look and turned to his friends, a bit shocked by the spider's erratic behavior.

"Okay so he's a bipolar 8-bit spider. That's fine, but what's so threatening? He's the smallest student here that I've met and I don't think he's going to beat me up."

In response, Gumball, Darwin and Brian explained to the maroon badger of their own encounters with Ocho, with the Watterson brothers telling Mike on how the spider attacked them after Gumball unintentionally insulted his mother, while Brian admitted on upsetting the spider for bumping into him. After several minutes of listening to their stories, Mike couldn't help but be amused by their tales.

"Really? You guys can't handle a little spider? You're worse than my mother." Mike began to chuckle at the thought of his mother meeting Ocho.

"Believe me Mike; you do not want to underestimate someone like Ocho." Brian insisted. "Look, all I'm saying is that you should keep your guard up the next time you see him."

Mike looked at Ocho, sitting at a nearby table, happily eating his food, before turning his attention back to the purple fox, smile not fading.

"I'll keep that in mind." said Mike, much to Brian's relief.

* * *

As soon as everyone was done finishing their meals, everyone headed to the school gym for a game of dodge ball.. After what seemed to be like an eternity, the school bell finally rang, as everyone exited the gym, tired and worn out. Everyone except for Mike, that is.

"Wow, talk about a game!" Mike happily exclaimed. "That must have been the 11th one since I came here."

"Glad you're happy and all…" Gumball began. "Me, Darwin and Brian barely managed to survive the onslaught."

"I can hardly feel my legs." the two-legged fish complained.

"Look guys; let's just be glad that we managed to make it through another day." Brian commented, prompting everyone to nod their heads in agreement. Satisfied, the purple fox decided to check his cell phone, but upon reaching into his pockets, he noticed it was nowhere to be found.

'_That's strange, where the heck did it go?'_ Brian thought, before he turned to the gym behind him. _'I wonder…'_

"Brian, are you alright?" asked Darwin, snapping the purple fox back to reality.

"Sorry about that, you guys. I need to get my cell phone from the gym. Don't worry; I'll catch up with you guys later."

Gumball, Darwin and Mike accepted Brian's decision and turned to head back to Miss Simian's class, while the purple fox went into the gym, searching for his cell phone.

'_Now where did I put it?'_ Brian thought, as the purple fox searched the bleachers, the trash cans and even in the discarded sports equipment. After a few minutes, Brian finally spotted his cell phone inside the gym closet, much to his surprise.

"How did that get there?" Brian asked to himself. "No matter, I need to get it and head back to Miss Simian's class."

With that, the purple fox made his way inside and picked up the cell phone down on the ground. But as Brian tucked his phone inside the hoodie, he failed to notice the presence of a certain 8-bit spider.

"What are you doing here?" asked Ocho, causing Brian to yelp and fall on his back. As the purple fox got up, he was about to ask the spider when he hesitated for a moment.

'_I need to be careful what I'm saying.'_ Brian thought, before he spoke once more to Ocho.

"I just came by to pick up my phone, that's all."

"Oh, that makes sense." said Ocho. "Anyway, we should head to Miss Simian's class before-"

Suddenly, the two heard a loud bang behind them, prompting both Brian and Ocho to turn around and see the closet door was no longer open. Curiously, the purple fox approached the door and attempted to open it, to no avail.

'_You can't be serious!'_ Brian thought, as he turned on the knob a few more times, before giving up. Desperately, he banged on the door as loud as he could, hoping for somebody to show up; a few minutes later, he decided to stop what he was doing, realizing there was no one in the gym. Soon, panic and anxiety expressed itself on his face.

"Oh no, we're stuck!" Brian shouted in panic, frantically pacing himself back and forth, while Ocho looked on rather calmly.

"Brian, you need to get a hold of yourself…" the spider began."Just take a deep breath and everything will be alright."

The moment Ocho talked, Brian stopped what he was doing and stared at the spider, realizing that his situation had gotten much more complicated: being stuck inside a closet with a classmate that has an extremely hot temper.

* * *

Normally in Miss Simian's class, everyone would be paying attention to their teacher's lectures as best as they could. Today turned out quite different, however, as Gumball, Darwin and Mike noticed a certain purple fox missing among their classmates.

"Guys…" Gumball began to whisper. "Where the flip is Brian?"

"I don't know, Gumball. He's taking much longer than usual." Darwin whispered back.

"I just noticed that Ocho is not here too." Mike informed the Watterson brothers, prompting the two to turn around and see an empty desk not far from where they're sitting, leaving them quite worried.

"That's not good." Gumball muttered.

"I know what you mean, Gumball." said Darwin. "If Ocho and Brian aren't here, then something bad is going down."

"Oh come on! It can't be that bad." said Mike, trying to calm Darwin.

"Let's not stay here and find out." Gumball stated. "Let's get of here and find them before-"

"Alright class, get your pencils ready, because it's test time!" Miss Simian declared, as the class groaned in disbelief, including Gumball, Darwin and Mike.

"It looks like we won't be leaving anytime soon." Mike commented, before the cantankerous baboon began to hand everyone their tests.

* * *

Several minutes have passed since Brian and Ocho found themselves trapped in the gym closet. The spider remained calm and collective in the situation, while the purple fox desperately tried to open the door, to no avail.

First, Brian used some baseball bats to bash the door knobs, but only ended up getting them destroyed instead. Then, the purple fox used a football helmet to charge right through it, only to give himself a painful headache. Finally, Brian threw a dodge ball right at it, only to have it bounce right back and hit him squarely in the face.

"This is ridiculous!" Brian angrily exclaimed. "Nothing's working! At this rate, we might be stuck here forever!"

In the midst of his thoughts, the purple fox turned to Ocho, who had remained patient for the last several minutes…wait a minute! That's it!

"Ocho, do you have a way to get us out of here?" asked Brian.

"Why me?" asked the spider, much to the purple fox's discomfort.

"...You see… you might be the only one who could get us out of here." Brian explained.

"Wow, I never thought of it that way." said Ocho, before the spider pondered for a moment, while the purple fox let out a sigh of relief, silently thankful that he didn't upset him.

"I got it!" Ocho happily exclaimed, as he made his way to the closet doors, much to Brian's curiosity.

"What are you doing?"

'Isn't it obvious? I'm going to blast our way out."

With that, Ocho began to charge himself, while in a panic Brian frantically dove into a bin of random balls for safety, just as the spider prepared to blow the doors.

* * *

All day long, the students of Miss Simian's class were busy finishing up their tests as best as they could, all the while trying not to make a single mistake. But then, out of nowhere, an explosion suddenly occurred, shocking everyone in the classroom.

"What was that just now?!" asked Tobias.

"I don't know…" Miss Simian began. "But I do know that this is the time to start panicking!"

Immediately, everyone did exactly just that, as everyone ran around the classroom, with some hiding under the desks. Gumball, Darwin and Mike, were quite suspicious about the sudden explosion.

"Are you thinking what am I thinking?" Gumball asked his friends.

"I think it's now or never, Gumball." Darwin replied. "Anyway, this is our chance to find Brian and Ocho."

"So let's not keep them waiting." said Mike, before the trio quietly crawled their way of the chaos and into the hallway.

* * *

Brian couldn't believe what had happen just now, as he slowly crawled out of the bin. Somehow, Ocho rendered the closet door into various bits, each scattered all over the place. For someone so small, the spider can pack a powerful blast.

'_Wow! I definitely do not want to get on his bad side.'_ Brian thought, before he and the spider exited the closet.

Just then, the purple fox heard several footsteps coming right in their direction and before long, he spotted three familiar figures showing up, much to his joy.

"Guys, it's so good to see you!"

"It's good to see you too, Brian." Gumball said to the fox.

"At least we know that you and Ocho are fine." Darwin commented.

"By the way, why do the doors to the gym closet look like a kindergartner's building block play set?" asked Mike.

"You might want to ask Ocho on that one." Brian replied.

"Okay…" the maroon badger began, before facing the spider."Ocho, same question."

"Why are you asking me about that?" asked the spider, much to Mike's surprise.

"Because Brian told me to ask you." the badger replied.

"Is that so?" Ocho asked the maroon badger, getting close to his face. "IS THAT SO? **IS THAT SO?"**

Mike didn't respond right away, irked by the spider's sudden change in demeanor and behavior.

'_Okay, this was cute at first but now it's just obnoxious.'_

"You guys, this is no time for chitchat." Darwin said, getting himself between Mike and Ocho.

"Besides, we need to head back to class before Miss Simian finds out." Gumball informed the two.

"Gumball and Darwin are right…" Brian began. "We need to get back right now."

Mike and Ocho looked at the trio, before turning to each other; reluctantly nodding their heads in agreement and with that, the six left the gym, running as fast as they could.

* * *

Once they were certain that the coast was clear, Brian, along with Mike, Ocho and the Watterson brothers, proceeded to tiptoe as quietly as they could, not wanting to cause another ruckus in the school. But the pace they were going in was like a slow locomotive, something that the purple fox noticed.

"Guys, I think we need to tiptoe a little quicker here." Brian informed his friends.

Gumball, Darwin and Mike nodded their heads in agreement. Ocho, however, was somewhat annoyed by it and before the purple fox knew it; the spider was right up in his face.

"What do you mean by that?"

Brian could only look on at the agitated spider, too nervous to respond. But before the purple fox could answer Ocho's question, Mike suddenly cut in front of him and confronted the spider face to face.

"Quit asking the obvious and just go along with it! It's becoming really annoying!"

"Annoying?!" Ocho shouted. "You think that I'm annoying?!"

Before Gumball, Darwin and Brian knew what happened, the maroon badger and the spider began to argue with one another, each pointing out the other's faults.

"Guys, we gotta do something." Gumball informed his friends.

"Don't worry Gumball, I got this." said Brian, before he confronted Mike and Ocho.

"Guys, quit arguing! We need to get back to Miss Simian's class on the double!"

Brian's attempt, however, proved to have little effect on the two, as the maroon badger and the spider continued with their argument. Dissatisfied with this, the purple fox was about to make another attempt when he suddenly heard footsteps coming up right behind them.

"What was that?" asked a fearful Gumball.

"I don't know and I'd rather not find out." Darwin replied, before staring at the janitor's closet. "Everyone, let's get inside there until the coast is clear."

Agreeing with the two-legged fish, all six immediately entered the closet and quickly closed the door right behind them.

"Great." Brian muttered to himself. "I just got out of one closet and find myself stuck in another."

Gumball shushed the purple fox, prompting Brian to stay silent, as Rocky suddenly showed up, looking around in the hallway.

"That's strange…" the orange puppet began." I thought I heard someone right here. Oh well, I guess I was just hearing things. I hope that there are no more explosions today."

With that, Rocky continued to walk down the hallway, while the boys sighed with relief that they were safe for the moment.

"That was a close one." Brian remarked.

"Tell me about it…" Darwin began, before he confronted Mike and Ocho. "If you two weren't arguing, we would have made it to Miss Simian's class by now."

Mike could only sigh in response from the two-legged fish's scolding, acknowledging that what Darwin said was indeed true. Ocho, on the other hand, only looked at the fish with curiosity.

"What are you talking about?"

Gumball, Darwin and Brian looked at one another, as the trio nervously stared at the spider and panicked in silence. Before Ocho could ask any further questions, an irate Mike grabbed a rag and promptly shoved it into the spider's mouth, angering Ocho in the process, before he calmed down after a few minutes.

"I thought for sure we were goners." said Darwin.

"No kidding. Now let's get out of here." Brian informed his friends, before he turned the door knob. But after turning it a few more times, a look of disbelief formed on the purple fox's face, as he turned to face his friends.

"Guys, I don't want to alarm anyone, but we're stuck in here."

"Are you serious Brian?!" Gumball shouted, before he made his way to the door and attempted to open it, to no avail. "This is just great!"

"Wait a minute, you guys. We still have Ocho with us." Mike reminded his friends, before he removed the rag out of the spider's mouth. "Ocho, we need your help to blast that door."

"I'm not going to help you guys out after what you did a while ago." Ocho flatly said.

"Ocho, we really need your help." Brian pleaded. "You're the only one who can get us out of this mess."

"…Fine, but only if that badger friend of yours apologizes." Ocho replied.

Mike was somewhat irked by the spider's demand of an apology, but at the same time, the maroon badger realized that he and his friends needed to get out of here before they all ended up getting into big trouble. Without further hesitation, Mike confronted Ocho, ready to give him his answer.

"Alright Ocho, I'm sorry for everything. Can we go now?"

"That was the worst apology I have ever heard." Ocho replied, much to Mike's disbelief.

"What do you want?" asked Mike. "One on a silver platter with a side of cheese?"

"What I want is a genuine apology." the spider replied. "Either you give me one or I won't help you guys out."

Mike pondered for a moment, trying to come up with a genuine apology for Ocho. After what appeared to be like an eternity, the maroon badger finally turned his attention to the spider, hoping that his response would be enough to satisfied Ocho.

"Ocho, I'm sorry if I got you upset. It was never my intention to call you annoying and I know that you're a good person at heart. I also know that you're doing your best to keep yourself as calm as you can, not wanting to sound intense. Again, I'm really sorry and I hope we can just let bygones be bygones."

"Now that's more like it. Apology accepted." the spider happily said. "Stand back guys, I'm about to get us out of here."

Without any further hesitation, Gumball, Darwin, Brian and Mike immediately backed away, while Ocho immediately shoot a powerful laser, turning the door into several small blocks, while the boys could hear their class yell in response to the sudden explosion.

"Looks like that's our cue to get back to class." said Brian, before he and his friends ran to their destination.

* * *

Miss Simian, along with her students, hid underneath their desks, cowering in fright due to the second explosion just now. None of them knew what was going on, but whatever it was, they would rather cower than try to find out the source of the explosion.

As everyone in the classroom continued to hide underneath their desks, Brian quietly opened the door, and along with Mike, the Watterson brothers and Ocho, all six managed to make their way back to their desks, just as Miss Simian spotted the fox and the spider.

"Care to explain where you two have been?" the elderly baboon asked, demanding an answer from them.

"We were, um, in the bathroom and then we tried hiding after that explosion." Brian lied.

"Yeah, we weren't paying attention. Sorry about that." Ocho insisted, playing along with the purple fox.

Miss Simian, along with her students, continued to look at the two, while Brian and Ocho looked on nervously. Eventually, everyone shrugged their shoulders, somewhat accepting the lie, before the cantankerous teacher regained her composure, while everyone got back to their seats.

"Due to today's unexpected incidents, I'll be postponing today's test until next week." Miss Simian informed her students, much to their joy. "Instead, we will be doing…"

As the elderly baboon went on with another lesson in class, Brian, along with his friends, let out a sigh of relief, glad that they managed to survive another day.

_Next time on The Newcomer_

_Chapter 47-The Camera_

_Brian decided to film his life around Elmore to show his old friends back at Folsom. Unfortunately for him, he encounters some unexpected obstacles along the way._

**Tidbits**

**-Finally got the time to do a chapter of Ocho and somehow, it wasn't as difficult as I imagined.**

**-I want to thank Sal for his help on this one.**

**-Just to clear a few things up, the explosions were never meant to offend anyone at all. Me and Sal only added that to be humorous in the first place.**

**I hope everyone enjoyed The Closet and I'll be seeing ya next chapter!**


End file.
